Sharing the Word, Worship, and Wonder of God beyond our walls.

AM Psalm 78:1-39 • PM Psalm 78:40-72
Judges 7:1-18 • Acts 3:1-11 • John 1:19-28

“People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple…Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.” (Acts 3:2b, 8)

After the healing, this man is not only able to walk but he moves from outside the temple to inside the temple. He goes from being an “outsider” and through his healing becomes an “insider.” By these words, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,” Peter not only frees this unknown man from his physical affliction but also frees him to become part of the community. This man is healed in both body and soul.

Peter did not ask the man if he believed in Jesus Christ to heal him. It was Peter’s belief in Christ that enabled the possibility of the healing. Peter did not tell the man he had to come into the temple to be healed. Peter moved to him. Peter shared Christ with a man he did not know in a place where the man was, not only physically but spiritually.

“What I have I give to you.” What do you have to give? A lot! Look at who is beyond the walls of our faith community. The stranger, the immigrant, the homeless, the disabled, people who don’t look like us or think like us. If we have any hope for this unforgiving, polarized, angry culture we have been experiencing, we need to say, “what I have I give to you!”. Peter went to this man. He talked to this man now matter what he looked like, or how he thought. He healed him!

We have the same thing that Peter had! In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, we can say, what I have I give to you! We can give to those beyond our walls the gift of inclusion. We can go to them, with Christ’s love and acceptance, sharing what we have and giving it to them. Taking God those who can not come to us. Move away from the gates of the temple and see those who live beyond our walls. Bring inclusion to them! Do it in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Written by Chris Schaefer

“Sharing the Word, Worship, and Wonder of God beyond our walls.” These are the words that guide Chris as she ministers to others who are not served or underserved in our community!