jimkenney12
Well-Known Member
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
The story of Peter on the roof and Cornelius, the Roman Commander, repeats the concept of Jesus being for everyone.
Here is the link to this reading (Message translation) on Bible Gateway: Bible Gateway passage: Acts 10 - The Message
My summary and an additional comment are in the following posts.
Here is my message delivered today on this passage.
The Good News is for Everyone
The Book of Acts of the Apostles was written by the author of Luke about 30 to 60 years after Jesus died. We do not know ,which stories are historical, which are legends, and which are creations of the author. Today’s reading reflects the theology of the author, that the community of followers of Jesus was to include everyone, a theology that goes back to Mary’s song near the beginning of the Book of Luke.
It sort of contradicts Paul’s letters in which he describes his fight with Peter and the rest of the council in Jerusalem in which he argued for the inclusion of Gentiles without requiring them to be circumcised while the Council, including Peter, insisted on them being circumcised to be Jews before they could be part of the community.
Whatever the truthfulness of its telling, the story is true in declaring none of God’s creations including people is unclean, unacceptable to God..
The point of the story was the call to include all people. Christians also used this story to eliminate Jewish food laws.
Many churches are committed to being inclusive congregations, to welcome anyone and everyone. This is not easy because of human nature, of being inclined to divide people into us and others.
All in the Family and The Jeffersons were popular sitcoms in the 1970s.Many white people identified more closely with the Jeffersons, the Black family, that they did with Archie Bunkier. Being educated was more important as a group identifier than race.
Teachers usually push students with ability to go for a University education and generally seem to see people with a university education as being better in an intellectual way than trades people.
Sheldon, in Big Bang Theory, sees theoretical physics as most important and his girlfriend Amy sees neurological pathways research as the most important.
Black lesbians resent their mistreatment by white lesbians. Transgender people experienced attacks from people who are homosexual.
The Hockey Sweater is a sad story about getting a Maple Leafs sweater in a Montreal community.
Working at being truly inclusive requires continues reflection on how we respond to other people, noticing the boundaries we hold in identifying ourselves, and being open to knowing other people well enough to understand their needs and aspirations.
We cannot be all things to all people as anything we do will bother someone or cause a disconnect. My referring to television shows is a disconnect with wise people who chose to ignore that medium, though they help me connect to the many who do watch TV.
When I attended a three day workshop in 1999 about the Magnetic Church, the core message was radical acceptance of people.
The presenter referred to the acceptance of the singing by a person with a mental handicap that signalled everyone else that they could be accepted by the congregation.
The presenter described Saturday evening, beginning with a meal before worship, as demonstrating accepting the needs of young families by choosing to gather at a time that best met their needs, 22 years ago. A large minority of households at that time, and still, were and are single family households. Sunday is the loneliest day of the week for many single people. Holding a late afternoon worship service on Sunday afternoons followed by going to a restaurant to share a meal showed acceptance of them by addressing their need for an opportunity to socialize.
This congregation will be welcoming Amanda Alley as your next minister in partnership with Sheldon and their family. As you hope their ministry will help you grow your ministry here, I hope you will be open to changes that will show acceptance of the needs of people not participating at this time in your ministry.
There are several versions of inclusivity. In our reading from Acts, inclusivity meant allowing Gentiles to join them in their community. For Hillhurst United, inclusivity means radical hospitality: whoever you are, however you are dressed, you are welcome to join our worship and share in our offering of snacks and beverages as well as share your story.
Inclusivity at many churches such as DRCC includes a sound system for people with hearing impairments and an entrance and washroom for people with mobility issues.
What else might you be able to do to demonstrate you are an open, welcoming, and diverse fellowship exploring and striving to live the all-encompassing love of Jesus? Who does not feel currently included? Why?
Our prelude today was “They will know we are Christians by our love”. What you do to help others feel included, welcomed and cared for are outward signs of your love.
Love yourselves and love others with boldness, openness, and confidence in the power and wisdom provided by the Holy Mystery. Amen.
Here is the link to this reading (Message translation) on Bible Gateway: Bible Gateway passage: Acts 10 - The Message
My summary and an additional comment are in the following posts.
Here is my message delivered today on this passage.
The Good News is for Everyone
The Book of Acts of the Apostles was written by the author of Luke about 30 to 60 years after Jesus died. We do not know ,which stories are historical, which are legends, and which are creations of the author. Today’s reading reflects the theology of the author, that the community of followers of Jesus was to include everyone, a theology that goes back to Mary’s song near the beginning of the Book of Luke.
It sort of contradicts Paul’s letters in which he describes his fight with Peter and the rest of the council in Jerusalem in which he argued for the inclusion of Gentiles without requiring them to be circumcised while the Council, including Peter, insisted on them being circumcised to be Jews before they could be part of the community.
Whatever the truthfulness of its telling, the story is true in declaring none of God’s creations including people is unclean, unacceptable to God..
The point of the story was the call to include all people. Christians also used this story to eliminate Jewish food laws.
Many churches are committed to being inclusive congregations, to welcome anyone and everyone. This is not easy because of human nature, of being inclined to divide people into us and others.
All in the Family and The Jeffersons were popular sitcoms in the 1970s.Many white people identified more closely with the Jeffersons, the Black family, that they did with Archie Bunkier. Being educated was more important as a group identifier than race.
Teachers usually push students with ability to go for a University education and generally seem to see people with a university education as being better in an intellectual way than trades people.
Sheldon, in Big Bang Theory, sees theoretical physics as most important and his girlfriend Amy sees neurological pathways research as the most important.
Black lesbians resent their mistreatment by white lesbians. Transgender people experienced attacks from people who are homosexual.
The Hockey Sweater is a sad story about getting a Maple Leafs sweater in a Montreal community.
Working at being truly inclusive requires continues reflection on how we respond to other people, noticing the boundaries we hold in identifying ourselves, and being open to knowing other people well enough to understand their needs and aspirations.
We cannot be all things to all people as anything we do will bother someone or cause a disconnect. My referring to television shows is a disconnect with wise people who chose to ignore that medium, though they help me connect to the many who do watch TV.
When I attended a three day workshop in 1999 about the Magnetic Church, the core message was radical acceptance of people.
The presenter referred to the acceptance of the singing by a person with a mental handicap that signalled everyone else that they could be accepted by the congregation.
The presenter described Saturday evening, beginning with a meal before worship, as demonstrating accepting the needs of young families by choosing to gather at a time that best met their needs, 22 years ago. A large minority of households at that time, and still, were and are single family households. Sunday is the loneliest day of the week for many single people. Holding a late afternoon worship service on Sunday afternoons followed by going to a restaurant to share a meal showed acceptance of them by addressing their need for an opportunity to socialize.
This congregation will be welcoming Amanda Alley as your next minister in partnership with Sheldon and their family. As you hope their ministry will help you grow your ministry here, I hope you will be open to changes that will show acceptance of the needs of people not participating at this time in your ministry.
There are several versions of inclusivity. In our reading from Acts, inclusivity meant allowing Gentiles to join them in their community. For Hillhurst United, inclusivity means radical hospitality: whoever you are, however you are dressed, you are welcome to join our worship and share in our offering of snacks and beverages as well as share your story.
Inclusivity at many churches such as DRCC includes a sound system for people with hearing impairments and an entrance and washroom for people with mobility issues.
What else might you be able to do to demonstrate you are an open, welcoming, and diverse fellowship exploring and striving to live the all-encompassing love of Jesus? Who does not feel currently included? Why?
Our prelude today was “They will know we are Christians by our love”. What you do to help others feel included, welcomed and cared for are outward signs of your love.
Love yourselves and love others with boldness, openness, and confidence in the power and wisdom provided by the Holy Mystery. Amen.
