Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In this study guide on the Book of Acts, N.T. Wright opens with this, “…Acts is full of energy the and excitement of the early Christians as they found God doing new things all over the place and learned to take the good news of Jesus around the world. It’s also full of the puzzles…that churches faced then and faced today….It’s comforting to know that “normal church life”, even in the time of the first apostles was not plain sailing, just as it’s encouraging to know that…the early church was able to take the gospel forward in such dynamic ways.” (Wright, Acts, 1).
What is “normal church life”? What is a normal church? This month we’re going to hear from our Children and Youth Director, on ministry with kids and youth, from the director of Action Réfugiés Montréal, and we’ll also have the opportunity to bike to church (April 21st) for Earth Day. Is that normal?
Briarwood doesn’t have a “normal church life”. No church does. The witness to Jesus Christ and his love for all people and for the world, is full of his resurrection life and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Expressions of this witness are different everywhere.
What is normal, what we do have in common, is the power of the risen Christ in our midst. This we share with all our brothers and sisters around the world.
As we look at the Book of Acts this April and May, leading all the way up to the election of elders on May 26th, may we be empowered once more to grow in and to spread the love of Jesus Christ as a church every day.
With best wishes,
Greg
rev. dr. greg davidson 