Greetings!

We have arrived at the fourth Sunday of Easter, a time when the resurrection of Jesus is still in the forefront of our minds – and a driving force in the ministry of the disciples in the early chapters of Acts. We pick up the story after Peter and John have healed a lame man in the temple area. The good news is traveling throughout Jerusalem, and thousands are being added to the church each day. The Jewish authorities respond by throwing Peter and John, the supposed leaders and instigators, into jail. The next morning they are questioned. This confrontation gives Peter the opportunity to witness to the power of the resurrected Jesus. But what energizes Peter, troubles the authorities who seek to silence the disciples. 

These moments in the story of the emerging church in Jerusalem give us opportunities to reflect on our witness to Jesus Christ in our own Jerusalems. I invite you to worship with us at the 7:50 a.m., 10 a.m. or 5 p.m. service this Sunday.

Blessings,

Judy Joy

Theme for Sunday

The disciples of Jesus had a real sense of his loving presence as they went out to preach. They had seen him, eaten with him, and spoken with him after his resurrection. They had come to live a deep connectedness with him and drew from that connectedness the strength to speak out with simplicity and directness, unafraid of being misunderstood or rejected. The more you come to know yourself – spirit, mind, and body – as truly loved, the freer you will be to proclaim the good news. That is the freedom of the children of God. --Henri Nouwen