Gathered to be Scattered

Acts 8:4-8 Philip Preaches in Samaria (Click here to view passage)

Reflection:

The old adage goes: “There’s strength in numbers”

Usually, a crowd loses its power when it is scattered.

But the Christians were, and are, a different sort of phenomenon.

Right before the passage linked above, we hear about Saul, before his conversion to Christianity. He is a zealous persecutor of Christians…and that persecution causes the group to scatter to the four winds to save their own tails.

One might think this is the end of the “movement” of Christianity. The group’s been scattered away from their leaders. They no longer can claim strength in numbers. It’s over.

Except for this group – the scattering simply spreads the message further. We hear of Philip, on his own, telling people in Samaria about Jesus…and God’s grace extends to more and more people.

Eventually Saul will get knocked off his high horse and become Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles…and God’s grace extends to more and more people.

On Sunday mornings, you and I are gathered for an hour; to be trained, to be blessed, to be strengthened; to be shown by example what love looks like. But then, just 60 minutes later, we are scattered to the four winds again – to make sure God’s grace continues to be extended to more and more people.

So wherever you are reading this devotion from, no matter how far it is away from the church, know that you are the presence of Christ’s love in that place. Extend God’s grace to those you encounter today; through words, through actions, through a willingness to be the hands and feet of Christ.

Prayer: Gracious God, give us the strength to be scattered today, so that the walls of the church may not keep others out, or your love in. Amen.