November 13, 2011

• Ezekiel 47:1-12
• Acts 10:24-48
• Acts 17:16-34
  Sunday's readings will be from the new Common English Bible.
• Outreach Sunday

Sunday's message: Beyond our safe circle

Our procession of special Sundays brings us this week to Outreach Sunday, an occasion for thinking about how we relate to the community around us.

We're going to do that by looking at three Bible passages, one from the book of the prophet Ezekiel and two others from the book of Acts. I'm not going to elaborate much on any of them. Instead I'm going to use each as a springboard for thinking about our relationship with our surrounding community. I think of that surrounding community, our "parish" so to speak, as roughly the southern half of the 32303 ZIP Code.

• In the Ezekiel passage the prophet is describing a vision he's being shown of the future. At the time of his vision God's people are in exile and the Temple is in ruins. Having seen a detailed vision of a restored Temple, Ezekiel now sees water running out from underneath it, renewing as it goes. Living water, water that gives life. It's one of my favorite images of Church — and Gray Memorial even sits on the top of a hill!
• The story from Acts 10 is the classic story of early outreach to the Gentiles by what had begun as a Jewish sect. We'll read only part of the story Sunday, but you might want to read yourself from the beginning of Acts 10. Peter has just learned in a vision not to call anything God had created unlean. Then he has received an invitation to visit the home of Cornelius, a Gentile God-fearer whom and angel has prepared for Peter's visit. We'll pick up reading at the point where Peter arrives at Cornelius' house. What follows surprises Peter; some have called it the Pentecost of the Gentiles. It also upset the church authorities in Jerusalem, who were tying to keep proper boundaries (Acts 11). Is there any place, are there any persons unworthy of the love of God, or of our love and compassion? Are there in fact any proper boundaries?
• The final story, from Act 17, is a story about Paul and an episode in Athens. Paul was "deeply distressed to find that the city was flooded with idols." What is the right thing for Paul to do in these circumstances? What he does, I think, is instructive for us as we make our witness in a world of doubters.

Where do these stories call Gray Memorial to go, what do they bid us to do? I'm glad you asked! We'll talk about it on Sunday. I'll see you there.