Witness - Reflections- 9-22-16

 Texts at Gloria Dei for Sunday September 25, 2016

 Ephesians 2:14-20
 Acts 1:1-8

 Gloria Dei stepped out of the lectionary flow for September to consider God’s calling through Grace Building. This is the last week for that. If you would like to see what the rest of the Church is reading today and this week, the lectionary texts we are not using and the daily readings related to them are at the bottom of this post. Next week we return to our regularly scheduled programming/readings.

The author of Luke is also the author of Acts.  In the Gospel we hear about Jesus’ ministry and mission, death and resurrection. We walk alongside the disciples who watch and witness all this.  In Acts, then, the story continues as those disciple-witnesses, infused with Jesus’ spirit (as promised), proclaim God’s grace and salvation “in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Or to stay in the metaphor…as witnesses, they testify to what they have seen. 

Jesus lays that out for the disciples in the text from Acts 1 just before he leaves via clouds. In the next chapter, the promised Spirit arrives spectacularly to give words to those witnesses.

What have you seen? If you have been walking this year with the disciples and me through the Gospel of Luke, our primary source of the Good News this year (since 11/25/15), you have seen God with a passion for the outsider, the stranger, the poor, the hungry; a God who is turning this world upside down on behalf of his people. If you are new to this blog, two past posts will give you a glimpse of what I’m talking about here (12/2/15 and 1/20/16).

Back in Luke 4, Jesus states and claims his identity, purpose, and mission: to bring the good news of God -release, recovery, setting free – to all.

Our Ephesians text this week adds that Christ breaks down the walls that divide us, that God brings peace between strangers and aliens bring them together into one household, aka one family of God.

Did you witness that in Luke as well?

If you attend Gloria Dei you may have heard some of the foci this community of faith has identified for their mission ahead: diversity/inclusivity; inviting/welcoming; God’s work. Our hands.; God’s work. Our voice.   

How do you think these concept matches our witness of Jesus in Luke?

And then there is the punch line: how are you going to proclaim the mighty works of God as a witness to God’s amazing grace?

You can put comments below.

Texts for the 19th Sunday after Pentecost
Amos 6:1a, 4-7
Psalm 146
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Luke 16:19-31

Sunday  Luke 16:19-31
Monday  Psalm 62:5-7
Tuesday  Psalm 91:1-2
Wednesday  Matthew 19:16-22
Thursday  Psalm 37:15
Friday  Revelation 21:26-28
Saturday  Matthew 20:29-34
Sunday  Luke 17:5-10

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Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Iowa City

Gathered by grace. Scattered for service.

123 E Market Street
Iowa City, IA 52245