Scripture Text (NRSV)
Acts 16:9-15
16:9 During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of
Macedonia pleading with him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and
help us."
16:10 When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross
over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim
the good news to them.
16:11 We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to
Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis,
16:12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the
district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for
some days.
16:13 On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river,
where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and
spoke to the women who had gathered there.
16:14 A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was
listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in
purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was
said by Paul.
16:15 When she and her household were baptized, she urged us,
saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and
stay at my home." And she prevailed upon us.
Comments:
Jennifer T.
Kaalund makes some great points on Working Preacher this week.
Ministry is a group effort. Paul is accompanied by several others on
this trip, and they are all assisted by Lydia. Sometimes the members
of the group are named; sometimes they are not. Lydia wasn't alone
that day, but she is the only one whose name we are told.
Ministry frequently doesn't look like what we thought. Paul's dream
was about a man from Macedonia. The people Paul and Co. actually found
were women. The dream asked Paul and Co. to "come and help us." Lydia
was the one who gave the help, and Paul and Co. were the ones who
ended up receiving the help.
This story is continued next week, so this might be a 2-parter. But in
no place in this chapter does anything look like what was expected.
I'm not saying it's a bad idea to have plans and goals and such like.
But this chapter is a great reminder that the Spirit is active even
what things are different than we thought. Have fun winging it! Rick
in Canada, eh?
A vision compels Paul to move his ministry into Greece. There he meets
Lydia, an important person in the business community, whose heart has
been opened by God to receive the gospel. Her conversion and baptism
provide the impetus for the founding of the church at Philippi.
Paul responds to a vision that compels him to travel to Macedonia.
There he meets Lydia, who in turn responds to the vision of new life
that Paul and the others with him proclaim. She opens her heart and
her home and a new community is created. How do we invite visions of
new life...and how do we respond to them?
Paul had failed on his first three attempts to get into Macedonia. I
bet it would have been easy to dismiss it as "it wasn't meant to be...
now look at me, I'm obsessing about it (even dreaming about it). I
need to just move on to something else." We would have never known the
difference. (Of course our Bible might have been missing the
Phillipians, as the church at Philipi might not have been there). My
point is, he believed in his calling - and had the courage to follow
what might have been dimissed as "just a stupid dream." Thank God he
did! I wonder how many "stupid dreams" we have dismissed and how we
may have hindered what God wants to do.
While I was in seminary, I led a junior high Sunday school class for
the church to which I was appointed as a student pastor. Each Sunday,
I would take the students in the church's van to a donut shop, where
we would much pastries and talk about the Book of Mark. We came to
notice the same regular customers each week. We were not loud about
what we did, but we didn't speak in hushed tones, either.
One Sunday morning, I noticed a woman at the next booth, reading along
in her Bible, in the Book of Mark. As the weeks went on, I saw others,
quiety listening to our conversation -- the discussion between
13-year-olds and their pastor -- about the Gospel. They never spoke to
us, but I could tell they were listening by the way they brought
Bibles to Dunkin'Donuts.
The storyteller has Paul speaking directly to Lydia, but I wonder if
the concept is similar. How often is the Gospel heard through "chat"?
How many other women sat near the water in Philippi and listened
quietly to Paul's discussion with Lydia? Would the effect have been
the same if there had been a synagogue right there?
Perhaps a message to the congregation is that they can be at least as
effective in communicating the Gospel to people as we pastors are.
People who are not accustomed to public worship may be more likely to
listen in their familiar, safe environments than they are to come to
church, whether on their own volition or invited. MTSOfan
My church will be in transition, even as we are ourselves in my
family. I am their pastor only until June when I will be taking a
leave. They are afraid, as we always are during change and I wonder if
using Paul as an example of courage and the words of Jesus reminding
us not to be afraid will be the way I will go. Avis in KY
In this passage there is a sense of adventure. Seeing a vision (not a
dream?) Paul discussed it with his team (for "we" were "being
convinced").
They then set sight on a specific city, observe it for a few days to
identify the spiritual gathering place and start zoom in on the people
there.
When we proclaiming the Gospel and evangelize, perhaps it would help
to seek for divine guidance, to spread the conviction, to know where
the fish gathered and the spiritual inclination of seeker.
Lord of the harvest sheep me to coordinate your harvest plan well.
Enable me to strategize and focus the effort of our evangelists like
T. & W. so that we would be more effective in bringing your Grace to
people.
Coho, Midway City
MTSO...I like the story of your Bible study in the donut shop. I've
been writing my sermons in the local coffee shop in my town - lots of
opportunities for conversation arise with people who would never NEVER
come into the church office. We really need to get out more to do
things that have been confined to the church buildings.
Fred Craddock's book "Overhearing the Gospel" makes the point that
people learn better when they are listening in on someone else. I
think the children's story is a more effective teacher than the
sermon. It's a little easier to prepare as well!
Good point about evangelism. Blessings MCE
I am struck by the fact that God has His ways of letting you know what
He wants you to do.
With Paul, he gave him a vision, but not direct instructions
With Lydia, he sent someone to speak to her about Jesus.
GC in IL
MCE, thanks for reminding me about Craddock's book. MTSOfan
I see this text as being more about Lydia than about Paul. Once she
was initiated into the Christian faith through baptism, one notices
that she responds to her baptism through her hospitality. Her
faithfulness is centered around her hospitality. This does not, of
course, mean that those who are not Christian or are not baptized are
not hospitable. But it DOES mean that we Christians are in some sense
measured by our hospitality. Are we hospitable to those around us? Who
do we welcome into our "homes," whether we are speaking of church
homes or the houses in which we live? I fear we have lost a great deal
of that emphasis on hospitality over the years. We fear strangers
even, and perhaps especially, in the church. (I am really bothered by
the fact that as a female pastor who spends most of my week alone at
my church office, I am encouraged to, and probably should, lock my
door at all times. ...Though I don't always. When I became the first
female pastor at my church -- and I am young -- the trustee board
installed a peep hole in my door. Not very hospitable, but we consider
such things "necessary" in our modern world.) How can we regain
hospitality as a response to baptism?
California Preachin'
California preachin,
Although I would love to agree with you, having pastored for 24 years
in locked safe environments, I still felt I was hospitable. And
sometimes a little bit too hospitable for what was needed for an
individual's own growth. Although they got away with receiving moneys
and goods that they really didn't need, I still came across as the
nurturing, loving person I wanted to be known as. As Jesus said, in
Matthew's sermon on the Mount, I could already have received my reward
here. Matthew 6:2
Although these words from the sermon on the mountain, and Jesus'
instructions to the disciples is not in the Luke-Acts pericopae, I
find myself thinking of this message of Jesus’ to the disciples
described in Matthew 10. “Be wise as serpents and harmless as
doves”(KJV). Are we really being hospitable when we tempt someone who
would otherwise make a better decision if not tempted to do otherwise.
The hope is that eventually one would not have to lock doors anywhere,
but that is not the case right now. If recommended right now, lock
your door. So if we are to be effective pastors, we should pastor in
secure situations.
Shlom
Bammamma
In Acts, as in Rev., the people aren't worshiping in a structure, yet
the comforter from John still is present. A reminder that the whole
earth (that of the Psalm) is filled with His glory. "It's all good."
lkinhc
MTSOFAN,
Craddock is a Dissatisfied ex UMC who now is in Canada with UCC! We
had to read his Book Preaching in Local pastor school
Clerically Blonde in West Ohio ( UNITEDFAN) LOL
To the anonomous poster who wrote questioning how many stupid dreams
we have had that might have led us elsewhere, consider reading the
children's book "the Treasure". It retells an old Jewish story about a
man who had the same dream three times and finally followed it. It led
him to look for a hidden treasure under a bridge far from his home.
While he was trying to figure out how to dig under the bridge the
guard came to him and upon hearing his dream laughed. The guard told
him, "You are a foolish man. If I had followed my dreams I would be in
the house of a man named Isaac digging under his stove to find my
treasure." THe gurard laughed again and walked away. Isaac went home
and found his treassure. Avis in KY
my understanding is that Craddock always has been UCC, as if it really
matters...
Blonde, Fred Craddock lives in North Georgia and is a Disciples of
Christ Minister (retired). He was my Preaching prof. at Emory's
Candler School Of Theology in the late 70's and early 80's. I highly
reccomend his books to every Pastor. Padresac in Ms.
Blonde in Ohio, Craddock was preaching in Cherry Log Christian Church
in Cherry Log Ga. I highly reccomend his book of stories. It is
"Craddock Stories" edited by Graves and Ward. He has retired from the
church during the last year or so. Padresac in MS
Where did you red Greece??? I see Macedonia not Greece. In that time
Macedonia owned a part from Greece if you mean that. I am from
Macedonia and I pray God to come over and help us.
