“From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.”
Acts 17:26-27
Dear HBIC Family,
One of the great blessings that I have experienced over the last year or so has been the chance to connect weekly with Brethren in Christ Global Workers and prayer partners on Wednesday mornings via Zoom. This meeting is deeply encouraging to my soul and spirit. Learning from, listening to, and praying with so many who are serving God and doing kingdom work in so many different places and in so many different ways has served as a great reminder that our God is at work in this world.
Another blessing and a reminder of God at work in our world has been the recent visits and subsequent departures of some of our HBIC Global Workers. Though Covid rendered many of us isolated here at home, it has helped us communally to consistently worship with and be in touch with many of our people far from Harrisburg. They have been able to join our Zoom meetings, online ministry opportunities, and Sunday morning worship services via YouTube. Seeing some of these global workers this summer reminds us of God’s faithfulness to them and the fruit God is using their lives to bring.
It is good for us to be reminded that God is at work in the world. My natural tendency is to only hold on to how God is working in my world. The trouble with that is that God’s world and work in our world is much bigger and much better than my world and my finite and limited scope and vision. In John, Jesus reminds Nicodemus and us that God has sent him for the entire world. Isaiah’s vision and John’s late revelation capture a goal of God from the beginning: to draw all peoples and to reconcile and redeem our entire world.
This week, we will conclude our Acts: The Church Then and Now series by learning how the Church connects. We will briefly travel with Paul from Thessalonica to Berea, before settling in Athens. Our focus will be Paul’s masterclass sermon at the Areopagus which helps to teach us how God is connected to our world and how we can do the same by seeing the work God is already doing and establishing…even among those who have yet to believe in Jesus. To prepare for this week’s services, I would like to invite you to read and meditate on Acts 17. As you reflect, I would like to ask you to focus on the following questions:
What does this passage say about God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)?
What does this passage say about how God is present in the world?
What are some of the ways you see God working in the world right now?
Where do you see God in your current culture and context?
I love that God is at work in our world. I love that even though I can’t possibly see and know all the ways God is moving, the Spirit consistently leaves me gentle (and sometimes obvious) reminders that God is moving and the world is being rescued, redeemed, and reconciled. What a blessing that God shows us all of this, while inviting us to join in the work!
Sisters and brothers, our God has called us to connect. My prayer is that we are committed to being connected to God, each other, our communities, and yes, even our world. Lord God, help us to see where you are, how you are moving, and what you are doing. Holy Spirit, call us to join in this kingdom work!
Love in Christ,
Pastor Hank (Acts 17:26-27)