Ten Minutes for Teachers
May 6, 2007
Vol. 9, Issue 1

Worship Texts:  Psalm 148; John 13:31-35; Rev. 21:1-6
Worship Theme:  Love is Not an Option
Other Texts:  Acts 11:1-18
 

Hymns for this Week:
Our hymns for this Sunday all tease out themes of the goodness and diversity of God’s creation.  Beginning with All Creatures of Our God and King, moving to Help Us Accept Each Other and concluding with In Christ There is No East or West – the message is clear:  in Christ God is seeking to draw all creation back into a place of unity and praise.

What We Believe:
Our four week overview and introduction to the Christian faith and life of First Presbyterian Church begins this week.  Those interested are invited to join Jonathan in the fellowship hall. 

Devotion:  
Food is a cultural issue.  We may not think so at first.  Food – it seems – is simply about sustenance, about nourishment.  But, in reality, it is about much more than that.  If I give to you a list of foods, you immediately form judgments, ideas and assumptions about things far beyond simply food.  For example:  enchilada, taco, guacamole, tortillas and margaritas.  Immediately, a picture is formed in your mind.  Whether we acknowledge it or not, food means more than simply what we eat. 

Even more, we use food as a way to highlight and distinguish ourselves.  We are quick to claim that ours is the best bar-b-q in the world, while Japanese men and women point to their raw tuna as the finest you can eat.  The French have their wine.  Canada has its syrup.  Italy and Greece have their olive oil.  And on and on it goes.  For food indeed is a cultural issue.  It defines people.  It separates people. 

Which is precisely why chapters 10 & 11 in the Book of Acts is such an important moment in the life of the early church.  When we open up the Book of Acts, we are frankly learning what type of food the early church is going to eat.  Are they going to continue eating from the same plates and cookbooks that they’ve had handed down to them generation after generation?  Or are they going to try some new foods – going around and sampling different cuisines from all over the world? 

In broader terms, the early church had to struggle with a crisis:  how were they going to remain faithful to the God of Abraham while also obeying Jesus’ call to go and make disciples of all nations?  How could they be both Jewish and open to non-Jews?

As Peter was wrestling with these questions, a veil of animals was unfurled through a vision – a vast array of animals both clean and unclean, safe and impure.  So, when Peter heard the command, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat,” he immediately protested, “By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.”

God, then, responded in incredible fashion, “what God has made clean, you must not call profane.”  Essentially, the message was this:  “Peter, I’ve expanded the menu.  I know you don’t think it’s safe to eat what the Gentiles eat.  But, alas, things have changed.  Purity is my business – a business I took care of through and in my son, Jesus.  Your job is going out into places you’ve never been before – to share good news … to share meals you’ve never even imagined eating.”

And Peter went to the house of Cornelius – led by the Holy Spirit.  Thanks be to God for that.      

Something to Chew On:
Prejudice and bias come out most horrifically in the way we disdain or ridicule specific things about “other people” – their food, dress, music.  Often times, this occurs because we just do not know that much about other people or cultures. 

Through the Multicultural Festival and other means, our hope is to develop an awareness and appreciation of “otherness” – being led by the Holy Spirit to taste and see the goodness of God in all of God’s children.
 
What other ways have you experienced the goodness of the Lord through people different than yourself?  Have you ever encountered a situation, environment or even a person that others said was profane … but, after being in that environment or talking with that person, you realized God was present there too? 

Prayer for the day:
”We praise you, O God, for the gift of creation.  Open our eyes to see new things.  Open our minds to think fresh thoughts.  Open our communities to welcome new partners.  Open our spirits to follow your Spirit.  Amen.” - Seasons of the Spirit:  Ages 15-18.  Pg. 63.