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³⁶In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. ³⁷About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. ³⁸Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!" ³⁹Peter went with them, and when he arrived, he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. ⁴⁰Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes and seeing Peter she sat up. 41He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. ⁴²This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the LORD. ⁴³Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon. (Acts 9: 36-43) Reflection This scripture is a wonderful story of the beginning of the Christian church. A disciple was doing good and helping the poor. When sickness stuck other disciples knew God’s power and reached out for help from Peter. Simon Peter was one of 12 disciples. He was a fisherman who was called to follow Jesus. Peter was present at many important times in Jesus’s ministry, walked on water, and acknowledge Jesus as Lord of all. Peter also denied knowing Jesus but came back to Jesus by the sea and was commanded to feed the sheep. Peter was present for the accension, and then preached to the crowd at Pentecost. Peter was a great leader. At one point in time Jesus said, “On this rock I will build my church.” Peter’s belief and mission of spreading of the story of Christ was widespread. Other followers knew him, and he eventually become the first pope of the church. Looking at Peter we should find some comfort that his early belief was over the top, then he had a time when he turned away, but then came back and was stronger then ever in his beliefs. Peter had many human characteristics that we all can relate to and even though he was flawed God did great things through him. God also works in our lives and great things can happen. --Charlene Rineer Prayer: Loving God, we thank you for the Apostles. Thank you for Peter and his ministry of leadership for starting the church. Help us keep spreading your word and building up the church. Let us be disciples like Tabitha who do good and help the poor. AMEN Our devotions are based on this Sunday’s Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). The RCL is a three-year cycle of readings telling the story of our Christian faith and corresponding to the season church calendar. On any given Sunday, we are hearing and praying and examining the same Scripture with millions of Christians around the world. In our current Year C, the Old Testament readings progress through the Prophets and have the theme of the day that it is connected to the Gospel reading. The Psalm, a song the congregation sings in response to the Old Testament reading, most often corresponds to the theme of the Hebrew Lessons and/or that of the Gospel Lesson. The lesson from the Epistles or from Acts typifies the church’s focus on the meaning of Christ for today. The Gospel lesson is connected to the season of the Church Year. This year, our gospel readings are from Luke, who writes that Jesus is the universal Savior and the perfect Son of Man. The current season of Easter brings the liturgical and biblical past into the present.
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