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Acts Lesson Plans: I Believe Scripture: Acts 3: (1-11)*, 12-19 During Eastertide, the Old Testament readings are replaced in the lectionary with passages from the book of Acts. This week Peter calls on the people to repent and turn their hearts to Jesus. Peter is addressing a crowd of people who did not believe Jesus…
[RCL] Acts 3:12-19; Psalm 4; 1 John 3:1-7; Luke 24:36b-48 “Many are saying, ‘Oh, that we might see better times!’” The Psalmist’s words ring just as true now as they have throughout the centuries since they were written. The news is full of war, climate crisis, political polarization, violence, and suffering. It often feels impossible…
RCL: Acts 3:12-19; Psalm 4; 1 John 3:1-7; Luke 24:36b-48 Acts 3:12-19 You might have heard of Christians “sharing their testimonies,” either in a church setting or with friends and family outside of church. Usually, a testimony refers to the personal story and experiences that have led one to the Christian faith. In other words,…
RCL: Acts 3:12-19; Psalm 4; 1 John 3:1-7; Luke 24:36b-48 In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. “What legacy do you want to leave behind?” This question is often asked by reporters when interviewing individuals who have played a pivotal role in society. Think of an…
RCL: Acts 3:12-19; Psalm 4; 1 John 3:1-7; Luke 24:36b-48 Acts 3:12-19 Today’s passage from Acts is a tricky text that has contributed to Christianity’s unfortunate anti-Jewish and antisemitic history of violence. From the crusades to the Holocaust to today’s rise of neo-Nazism, misunderstandings of passages such as this one from Acts have led to…
Acts 3:12-19 My first thought in this problematic passage is, “Oh dear, Peter goes from calling attention to the healed man to blaming this Jewish audience for Jesus’ death.” Living in a post-Holocaust era, we know where the evil of anti-Semitism can lead. We ask, why does Peter make that inappropriate—even offensive—leap when he says,…
The language of scripture is, for the most part, a graceful and formal language. There’s that one place in Paul’s epistles where he uses a word we don’t use in polite company. There is more than one instance of whining, of rudeness, even of insult. Of course, there are the stories of things we don’t…
Acts 3:12-19 At this point in the church year we read from the New Testament’s Book of Acts rather than the usual Old Testament source, yet this passage of Acts shows deep connections to the Old Testament. It reminds us that our salvation history includes the family history of Genesis and the prophecy of Isaiah….
Alleluia, Christ is Risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! So there is Jesus standing among his closest friends, the disciples. That is meant to represent us. He says, “Shalom!” Loosely translated, that comes across as, “Peace be with you.” This is unfortunately an inadequate attempt to put shalom into English. Shalom means much more than “peace.” Or…
Have you noticed that many of the post-Easter stories about the resurrected Jesus are centered on meals? The disciples knew the Lord in the breaking of the bread at Emmaus, as we recall in today’s collect; and Jesus comes among the disciples and shows his risen humanity by eating a piece of broiled fish in…
Acts 3:12-19 Peter has just healed a man on the front steps of the Temple in Jerusalem. Seeing the astonishment of the crowd at this healing, Peter makes a clear point that God did the healing – not Peter, who is merely an agent of God’s healing. In fact, God did something even more miraculous…
The Jesuit priest and renowned teacher on prayer Anthony de Mello suggests an interesting spiritual practice based on the questions of Jesus. He urges us to enter a prayerful state and then imagine that Jesus is asking us one of the questions that he poses in the gospels. Today’s gospel reading presents several questions. The first two…
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