Acts-This Is How We Church

A Minister’s Message from Rev. Chris Shorow, Senior Minister
405.341.3544 cshorow@fccedmond.org

Our upcoming worship series for the month of May is on the book of Acts. Acts is one of my favorite books because it has many wonderful stories. The Acts of the Apostles is Luke’s second chapter to his gospel and it essentially tells the story of the birth of the early church right after Jesus’ resurrection. Luke’s hero of the story is the Holy Spirit--with the power of the Holy Spirit, the church cannot fail.

But the reason I love Acts is because the stories are exciting. Stories like Pentecost--the miraculous event that brings many different people together show us the power of the Spirit to unite all of humanity. There is a story about a magician trying to buy the gifts of the Holy Spirit, about a couple lying about their gifts to the church and its fatal consequences. Tales of shipwrecks and miraculous escapes from prison make it an exciting read. Our most recent Unite class focused on the book of Acts, so I know many are familiar with the book, but I recommend reading Acts to get a feel for what Luke is telling us to be as church. The basic story of Acts has Peter and then eventually Paul, leading the church into the Roman empire—and beyond. In it, Luke tells how the church should be the church.

What are we supposed to do as Church? How do we act as Christ has taught us? Now don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of conflicts in the early church—it was not a perfect place. But everything could be worked out with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts teaches us how to live our faith and how to teach it to others, the importance of cultivating meaningful relationships, inviting and including everyone and becoming a center for healing. As we at First Christian Church listen for our calling from God, we can look to the book of Acts as a guide. See you in May as we hear God calling us to love in action for all people.