Words of Welcome

Acts 10:44-48 We tend to live in silos where everyone looks like us, thinks like us, and believes like us. It’s a comfortable existence, but there’s little chance we’ll grow spiritually or intellectually. If this is true, then perhaps we need a nudge from the Holy Spirit to get out of our relationship ruts. Although Pentecost Sunday is two weeks from now, this morning we’ve heard a word from the Book of Acts reminding us that the Holy Spirit is the central actor in Luke’s second volume. The Book of Acts opens with the story of Jesus’ ascension. Before he departs, he commissions his followers to be his “witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” However, he tells them to wait until the Holy Spirit comes to empower them before they head out into the world.  The first step in fulfilling this promise took place on the Day of Pentecost, when the Spirit fell on the disciples who were huddled in the upper room, empowering them to proclaim the go...

Acts 10:44-48 Last Sunday we heard a baptism story and witnessed Richard’s baptism. This morning we hear another baptism story that’s part of a much larger story that begins with an angelic visitation to a devout God-fearing Roman centurion who was stationed in Caesarea. The angel told Cornelius that his prayers had been answered and he should send for Peter who was staying in Joppa with Simon the Tanner. It was lunchtime when Cornelius’ messengers arrived at Simon’s house and Peter was up on the roof praying. While he prayed he had a food-related vision. In this vision, God told Peter not to consider things to be unclean if God declared them to be clean. So when went downstairs and greeted the messengers, he put two and two together and went with them.  When Peter entered the house of Cornelius, he confessed that he had always believed that it was unlawful for a Jew to be in the house of a Gentile, but apparently, God had changed the rules. What he had learned from the vision...

Acts 8:26-40 What’s your baptism story? I’ll confess that mine is a bit complicated. It starts at the Catholic hospital where I was born. Apparently, the nurses baptized me just in case I didn’t survive. That baptism was followed by one at my parent’s Episcopal Church. I don’t remember either of them, but I do remember being immersed in a creek when I was seventeen. Then there’s the baptism in the Spirit that I experienced a bit later. So, I believe I’ve covered all the bases. Your story might be similar or it might be different, but whatever it is, this morning we have the opportunity to remember and reaffirm our baptisms as we witness Richard’s baptism.    We’ve already heard a baptism story from the Book of Acts that’s rooted in the commission Jesus gave to his followers at his ascension. Jesus told them that before long the Holy Spirit would empower them so they could proclaim the Gospel of Jesus to the entire world, starting in Jerusalem ( Acts 1:8 ).  One of t...