Friday, 06 May 2016 - "From 'hysterical rage' to a mission from God"
Daily Scripture: Acts 7:55-8:3, 26:1-18
Reflection Questions:
Saul entered the book of Acts almost as a bit player, holding other people’s coats. He quickly became prominent as a driven, deadly persecutor of Christians. A stunning encounter with the risen Christ utterly changed his life. It was so pivotal that Acts told the story three times (cf. Acts 9:1-20, 22:1-16 as well as today’s passage in Acts 26). Before long, Saul began using his Roman name, Paul (cf. Acts 13:9). He was still passionate and driven, but now about sharing persuasively that Jesus was, in fact, the long-awaited Messiah.
- Those who killed Stephen (with Saul’s full approval) “shrieked and covered their ears…. charged at him” and “battered him with stones.” When Paul remembered, he said, “My rage bordered on the hysterical.” What is the danger of allowing that kind of rage to fill you, even in defense of something you believe is right? How can Jesus' example, as well as Paul’s more measured mature defense of his faith, guide us in finding more constructive ways of standing for what we believe?
- When he faced death (at the hands of a Roman executioner), Paul wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). Does it sound to you as though Paul was sad about “throwing away” his promising career to follow Jesus? In what ways has your commitment to Christ given you a similar sense of purpose to the one Paul showed?
Lord Jesus, your call changed Saul’s life. He went on to change millions of other lives. Give me listening ears and an open heart to what you wish to do through your call on my life. Amen.Insights from Darren Lippe
Darren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group & a men’s group, and serves on the Curriculum team.
“Change” has been a big buzzword in my day job in the energy industry. With the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issuing new orders for deadlines/procedures & pipelines changing their computer operating systems to “state-of-the-art” technology, we are inundated with “improvements” & “enhancements.” I summarized the 392 pages of handbooks/manuals for my boss this way: “I see a carpal-tunnel wrist-brace in my future.” At times I readily empathize with the caveman complaining, “A wheel? Are you kidding me? We just mastered fire last month.”
Aside: I always liked the story of the regulatory administrator saying, “The key to successful management is to plan ahead (he then turns to the white board):
But, as evidenced in today’s passage, change in the Christian faith journey is actually a blessing. Paul is carefully documenting his own story of transformation from a gung-ho persecutor of Christians to becoming a leading defender of the faith. I would submit there are 3 key points we need to make sure to not overlook:
Paul had to have been mortified by his past. From overseeing the slaughter of the 1st Christian martyr, Stephen, to arresting Christians & hauling them to jail, to even requesting permission to go to Damascus to hunt down even more Christians (business must have been slowing down), Paul was a one-man wrecking crew careening through the Christian world. Yet, amazingly he never shrinks from telling his story. He doesn’t view his history as a stain to be hidden, but rather as proof positive of an amazingly loving God who is willing to forgive the very worst of transgressions.
Paul is also at peace. Despite his record, he believes God has forgiven him. No, that isn’t quite right – he knows God has forgiven him. He has run the “good race” and is awaiting the “crown of righteousness.” This, too, is amazing testimony to Paul’s faith.
Finally, we need to acknowledge the grace exemplified by Paul’s contemporaries. Knowing Paul’s virulent behavior toward their fellow Christians (and, who knows, perhaps they personally experienced his wrath), these brothers & sisters in Christ would have been quite justified to reject Paul & his conversion. Yet, they displayed amazing mercy to their once wayward brother & generations of Christians have benefited from their compassion.
We Christians, 2,000 years later, can learn a lot from Paul’s faith story. Our own faith journey is going to require each one of us to be transformed or to “turn ourselves around” and to go in a new & improved direction. We are going to have to trust that God is a God of mercy & forgiveness. And we are also going to be asked to welcome others as they convert from their past lives to their new lives in Christ. Perhaps this transformation that comes from a Christ-led life is actually a change we can all get excited about.
When facilitating a Journey 101 Loving God discussion on the idea of transformation, I wrap up with a mini-van test. (The mini-van test is from our Sunday School class where we try to summarize the lesson so when Mom or Dad turn around in the van & ask, “What did you talk about in Sunday School today?’ our student doesn’t respond with, “I don’t know.”) So, to help remind us of today’s passage on Christian transformation I offer this ancient tribal song:
You put your right hand in
You put your right hand out
You put your right hand in
And you shake it all about
You do the Hokey Pokey…
(And this is the key part.) And you turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about.
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
“Change” has been a big buzzword in my day job in the energy industry. With the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issuing new orders for deadlines/procedures & pipelines changing their computer operating systems to “state-of-the-art” technology, we are inundated with “improvements” & “enhancements.” I summarized the 392 pages of handbooks/manuals for my boss this way: “I see a carpal-tunnel wrist-brace in my future.” At times I readily empathize with the caveman complaining, “A wheel? Are you kidding me? We just mastered fire last month.”
Aside: I always liked the story of the regulatory administrator saying, “The key to successful management is to plan ahead (he then turns to the white board):
But, as evidenced in today’s passage, change in the Christian faith journey is actually a blessing. Paul is carefully documenting his own story of transformation from a gung-ho persecutor of Christians to becoming a leading defender of the faith. I would submit there are 3 key points we need to make sure to not overlook:
Paul had to have been mortified by his past. From overseeing the slaughter of the 1st Christian martyr, Stephen, to arresting Christians & hauling them to jail, to even requesting permission to go to Damascus to hunt down even more Christians (business must have been slowing down), Paul was a one-man wrecking crew careening through the Christian world. Yet, amazingly he never shrinks from telling his story. He doesn’t view his history as a stain to be hidden, but rather as proof positive of an amazingly loving God who is willing to forgive the very worst of transgressions.
Paul is also at peace. Despite his record, he believes God has forgiven him. No, that isn’t quite right – he knows God has forgiven him. He has run the “good race” and is awaiting the “crown of righteousness.” This, too, is amazing testimony to Paul’s faith.
Finally, we need to acknowledge the grace exemplified by Paul’s contemporaries. Knowing Paul’s virulent behavior toward their fellow Christians (and, who knows, perhaps they personally experienced his wrath), these brothers & sisters in Christ would have been quite justified to reject Paul & his conversion. Yet, they displayed amazing mercy to their once wayward brother & generations of Christians have benefited from their compassion.
We Christians, 2,000 years later, can learn a lot from Paul’s faith story. Our own faith journey is going to require each one of us to be transformed or to “turn ourselves around” and to go in a new & improved direction. We are going to have to trust that God is a God of mercy & forgiveness. And we are also going to be asked to welcome others as they convert from their past lives to their new lives in Christ. Perhaps this transformation that comes from a Christ-led life is actually a change we can all get excited about.
When facilitating a Journey 101 Loving God discussion on the idea of transformation, I wrap up with a mini-van test. (The mini-van test is from our Sunday School class where we try to summarize the lesson so when Mom or Dad turn around in the van & ask, “What did you talk about in Sunday School today?’ our student doesn’t respond with, “I don’t know.”) So, to help remind us of today’s passage on Christian transformation I offer this ancient tribal song:
You put your right hand in
You put your right hand out
You put your right hand in
And you shake it all about
You do the Hokey Pokey…
(And this is the key part.) And you turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about.
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
913.897.0120
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