Scripture: Acts 16:23-24
When Paul and Silas had been severely beaten, the authorities threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to secure them with great care. When he received these instructions, he threw them into the innermost cell and secured their feet in stocks.
Thought for the Day: At the Sunrise Service on Easter (different sermon than 9am & 11am), I shared a quote from Nadia Bolz-Weber, a rather rebellious and provocative Episcopal Priest. She writes:
The Christian faith, while wildly misrepresented in so much of American culture, is really about death and resurrection. It’s about how God continues to reach into the graves we dig for ourselves and pull us out, giving us new life, in ways both dramatic and small.
Throughout my ministry, I have witnessed many such moments…the moments where those deep in the graves they dug for themselves (or maybe someone dug as a trap for them) suddenly see an exit. It may not necessarily be easy or quick, but they have hope. Maybe it’s just a sliver of light shining around the edge of the stone that seals their tomb, but it’s hope. No matter how deep your grave is this day, know that the God of Easter is not waiting another year before resurrection can occur. We may celebrate it once a year, but resurrection is God’s work every single day.
Prayer: Whether my tomb is made of dirt or stone or bars, fear or guilt or grief, I believe that you, Merciful God, genuinely care about my predicament. In Jesus, I believe you are about the work of resurrection and renewal and liberation. Let me the perceive, or at least gain a glimpse of what you are doing to set me free. Amen.
BEGINNING THIS SUNDAY…
