We shall continue reading in course until the day of Pentecost.
Why are we doing this?

We are tracing the outlines of our own beginnings.
We are underlining the power of a living faith.

In Acts, we read the story of the birth of the Church and the story of a body of ordinary men and women joined in an "unconquerable fellowship".

J.B.Phillips writes, in his forward to The Young Church in Action, a Translation of the Acts of the Apostles:

"No one can read this book without being convinced that there is Someone here at work besides mere human beings. Perhaps because of their very simplicity, perhaps because of their readiness to believe, to obey, to give, to suffer, and if need be, to die, the Spirit of God found what surely He must always be seeking ­ a fellowship of men and women so united in love and faith that He can work in them and through them with a minimum of ... hinderance. Consequently it is a matter of sober historical fact that never before has any small body of ordinary people so moved the world..."

The power and possibility of this movement came from God,
but it flowed out through those willing to act from the inspiration they had received.
Simple people were transformed by the Spirit ­ strengthened and empowered,
still themselves but also strangely new.

Look at Peter.

Not many days ago Peter denied even knowing Jesus.
When Peter stood in the courtyard of Caiaphas,
he seemed terrified by the prospects of what might happen to him.
Peter was so afraid for his own skin that he denied Jesus,
not just once, but three times. Jesus was taken away and killed.
Peter ran away and hid.

But now Peter stands in a public place,
proclaiming in a loud voice,
that Jesus is the Messiah.

This is a bold claim. How will the crowd react?
They may see Peter's claim as ridiculous, foolhardy, or just plain blasphemous.
The Law has not changed in the past few days.
Blaspheme is still punishable by death ­ death on a cross.
But Peter doesn't seem to care about that anymore.

What has happened to his fear? What has happened to Peter?

Peter is not acting out of ignorance.
Peter has seen the horror of crucifixion, that's how Jesus died.
Peter knows that the cross is still the fate of criminals and blasphemers.

But Peter has also seen the risen Lord. Peter knows that:
Jesus did not stay on the cross;
Jesus did not remain forever with the dead;
Jesus died, but on the third day rose again.

Peter has heard the silent statement of the empty tomb.
He ran right into that eloquent emptiness and saw
that Jesus was no longer in the place of death.

When the risen Christ appears in the upper room, Peter is there, twice.
Neither the lock on the door, nor the fear in their hearts keeps Jesus out.
Peter sees that Jesus lives.

Maybe Thomas was missing that first time, and still able to clutch at uncertainty,
but Peter has been confronted, and comforted, by Christıs presence.

Two times in the Upper Room and once, later, on the beach, Jesus will offer his presence to Peter: affirming him three times ­ even giving him breakfast. Food for the body. Food for the soul. Food for thought.

At the beach, it is Peter first out of the boat, into the water, and onto the sand:
"It is the Lord," he cries in recognition.

Peter knows.

There is an immense gulf between Peter's life
as it was in the courtyard and as it is now.

The cross has been transformed.

It is no longer a symbol of the fate of the rejected­
The cross is now a source of faith for the redeemed.

The man Jesus has been resurrected.
Death has been conquered.
Peterıs wavering faith has been reckoned as righteousness,

God has breathed a new spirit into Peter and
Peter seems to know no fear.

Peterıs denial has been forgiven, he stands in the crowded street,
and his voice rings out in truth:
"This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses!"

Peter and the other disciples will leave the upper room behind, hit the streets preaching
and thousands will begin to listen. The work of the Spirit spreads quickly.
This is but one of the stories from the book of the Acts of the Apostles.
We will hear many more in this season of Easter.

But the spirit of God, the power which transforms ordinary men and women,
is not trapped within the pages of Acts.

The Acts of the Apostles is like an old family story which prompts the telling of other tales, all of which serve to remind us of where we came from and which encourage us to continue becoming ourselves ­ encourage us to continue becoming disciples.

We are ordinary men and women.
We are gathered in this room waiting for the Risen Christ.
Some of us are wavering. Some of us feel certain.
But all of us are capable of inspiration.

Breathe on us, breath of God.
Breathe your Holy Spirit upon all in this room.

Take our impulse to run and hide and make us bold to stand, instead,
and speak your name.

Bless those who need to see you ­ to touch you.
Walk through the doors we lock.
Make yourself present in ways which will be undeniable and unmistakable,
so that we may know you in our own day,
and recognize you as Lord.

Breathe on us, Breathe of God,
and form us into a fellowship of men and women,
so united in love and faith that You can work in us, and through us,
with a minimum of hinderance.

Help us hear that to which you are calling us.
Help us to speak your Word in those places you would have us stand.
Help us to become the faithful disciples you need to do your will in this age.

Come, Holy Spirit, come.