Scripture Focus: Acts 9:13-14
“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

Reflection: Glorious Unimportance
By Robert Hillier

Growing up, I enjoyed playing sports even though I have never been the most athletic person. Effort? I had that. Athleticism and raw skill? Not as much. This meant playing positions that didn’t bring a lot of glory. I never took the winning shot or threw touchdowns, but I rebounded and blocked for those who did. There wasn’t a lot of glory around it, and the times that I was most noticeable were when I failed.

In Acts 9, it is easy to focus on Paul’s incredible transformation from persecuting Christians to preaching in synagogues within a span of twenty verses. We are rightly amazed that God can and will transform anyone for His glory. The rest of Acts recounts Paul’s ministry. That being said, it is easy to overlook Ananias. God called him to a seemingly dangerous and unglamorous job of healing a man known for zealous persecution of Christians. Ananias’s reluctance is understandable. What if if he had disobeyed the call? What would become of Paul’s church planting, ministry, and letter writing? Would it have come about at all? 

It would be overly bold to think one person’s disobedience could subvert God’s plan but think about what comes from Ananias’s obedience. Ananias doesn’t get the glory, preaching time, or write half of the New Testament like Paul does. But like the offensive lineman who blocks so that the quarterback can throw the touchdown or the church custodian who makes sure that the sanctuary is clean for Sunday, Ananias’s simple obedience is crucial and pays dividends. Often workers behind the scenes go unnoticed as long as the job is done. 

The reality is that God can do incredible things through our simple obedience to his commands and we may never know the outcomes. We don’t know whether or not Ananias knew what Paul and his ministry came to be. When results aren’t seen, it is easy to become discouraged in our obedience. However, we can always have faith in God’s plan and that our obedience to His call and command will never go to waste.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting
You are my hope, O Lord God, my confidence since I was young. — Psalm 71.5

Today’s Readings
Isaiah 51 (Listen – 4:35)
Acts 9 (Listen – 6:05)

Today’s Readings
Isaiah 52 (Listen – 2:46) Acts 10 (Listen – 5:49)
Isaiah 53 (Listen – 2:39) Acts 11 (Listen – 3:52)

Read more about Eating With Enemies
When Christ leads us into the heavenly city, we will find ourselves dining and worshiping with people we harmed or who harmed us.

Scripture Focus: Acts 9:40
Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.

Reflection: A Congregation of Hope
By Jon Polk

Tabitha was a big deal in Joppa. A disciple and prominent member of the Joppa congregation, she was known for her generosity and considerable service to others, especially the widows in their midst. Apparently, her reputation carried outside the church to the larger Greek community as well, where she was known by her Greek name, Dorcas.

Tabitha’s great significance to the church is revealed after her untimely illness and death. Upon hearing that the miracle-working Peter was in nearby Lydda, not one but two witnesses were dispatched to urgently summon him. When Peter arrived on the scene, the group of weeping widows—who were not the usual professional mourners common of the day, but rather dear friends of Tabitha—showed him that the very clothes they were wearing were made by Tabitha, who distributed them to the poor and needy.

For the congregation in Joppa, Tabitha’s death was more than the loss of a close friend, it presented a serious impact on their ministry outreach to the poor. Without attempting to deal with the situation on their own, they reached out in tremendous faith for the power of God, represented by the healer, Peter.

In The Sacred Journey, author Frederick Buechner writes,

“When it comes to putting broken lives back together—when it comes, in religious terms, to the saving of souls—the human best tends to be at odds with the holy best. To do for yourself the best that you have it in you to do—to grit your teeth and clench your fists in order to survive the world at its harshest and worst—is, by that very act, to be unable to let something be done for you and in you that is more wonderful still.”

The congregation at Joppa recognized they had a God-sized need that required a God-sized solution. This congregation believed in a resurrection hope, in a God that could exceed all expectations. They came together to mourn and weep, but also to hope and pray, and eventually, to celebrate. They were vulnerable enough to accept that the situation was desperate beyond their control.

Life presents us with our share of challenges from daily nuisances to more significant needs for physical healing or spiritual resurrection. May we have the faith of the Joppa congregation and be willing to place our hope daily in our great God, the giver of life.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Request for Presence
Save me, O God, for the waters have risen up to my neck. — Psalm 69.1

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Today’s Readings
Ezra 9 (Listen -3:19) 
Acts 9 (Listen -6:05)

Read more from Buechner: Too Good Not to Be True
The preacher is apt to preach the gospel with the high magic taken out, the deep mystery reduced to a manageable size. — Frederick Buechner

Read more from Buechner: Restoration of Civility
“In Hebrew the term dabar means both word and deed,” Frederick Buechner observes. “Thus, to say something is to do something.”