Saturday 16 July 2022

Psalm 9:1-10

Background

This passage repeats much of what has already been said in the previous chapter, but it is crucially important for telling us about the life and governance of the embryonic Church. The apostles and leaders in Jerusalem are often criticised, on the basis of this account, for being slow to acknowledge God’s expansive grace and for being resistant to opening their community to ‘outsiders’. But there are perhaps some details to note, which might make this a more positive example for communities of faith.

Peter was criticised specifically for eating with uncircumcised men. The accusation is that he was not following the customs and laws of the (Jewish) faith community of which he was a part. He did, of course, go on to defend his actions, but perhaps it is not unreasonable if church leaders might be expected to justify themselves in such cases. It is not generally considered healthy for leaders to behave as though rules  they enforce do not apply to them.

And Peter did justify himself. He gave a full and detailed account of all that he had experienced, and his fellow believers listened carefully. He was willing to be held accountable for his actions, and although he had needed to respond in the moment to what he witnessed, it does not seem that he saw himself as independent of the wider Church community. Rather, he subjected his ministry and understanding to a shared exploration. Mission, baptism, proclamation – these all belong to God, and are the shared responsibility of the whole Church.

Finally, having listened carefully, the Church adjusted its theology. It learnt from the experience of one of its members (Peter) that God was acting in ways that they had not anticipated. This might have been grounds for concluding that it was not God at work, but they recognised that in this case it certainly was of God. So they worshipped.

To Ponder:

• How, in the life of the Church (locally or nationally), should we strike the right balance between the freedom to take risks and the need to be mutually accountable? How can we encourage mission and support the missioner?
• When were you last surprised by God? Do you expect God to surprise you?

Prayer

God of the old and of the new, be with the pioneers, the missioners, the preachers and ministers, the supervisors and overseers, the treasurers and safeguarding officers, the workers with young and old, the property managers, the visitors, the listeners, the challengers, the affirmers, the questioners, the visionaries and the doers – the myriad fellow pilgrims who make up your Church.