Invocation
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Word
“So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” (Acts 11:25-26)
Meditation
Today’s meditation is written by Jeff Cloeter.
The first century city of Antioch became known as “the cradle of Christianity.” The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch (11:26). It was a central hub for Paul’s missionary journeys, a headquarters for missional deployment (13:1-3). Antioch was 18 miles upstream from a harbor on the Mediterranean Sea. It gave the early Christians access to the world, and the gospel of Jesus spread rapidly from this port.
I believe this ancient city has something to say to us today. The Christians at Antioch had a spirit of selfless sending. We desperately need this spirit today.
A quote by John Shedd reminds me of the spirit of Antioch. “A ship in harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.” There is a time to rest in harbor, but the ship is meant to sail.
One of the great challenges of the American church is that we easily get stuck in the harbor. It’s safe and comfortable. The food is good. We don’t have to fight the sea or suffer storms. We sleep in a comfortable bed and relax on the beach.
This is not the Spirit of our God. Our God is a sending God. He sent his only Son on a divine rescue mission. He “so loved the world” that he gave Jesus to be sacrificed for our lives. Jesus left the harbor of heaven to journey the perilous sea of earth. Our God is a missionary God, always giving and sending. Our God is a selfless God, never counting the cost.
Our missionary God gives us his very Spirit, the Spirit of Antioch, the Spirit of selfless sending. Where will you go? Who will he send you to? What will he call you to do and say? In the spirit of Antioch, now is the time to sail.
O God of selfless sending, send me. Show me where to go. Teach me what to do. Tell me what to say. By your grace, your grace alone, I will go. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
For My Close Christian Community
- For a few close and trusted Christian brothers or sisters. Give me encouragement, accountability, godly counsel, and Christian love through these relationships.
- For a haven of Christian community where I can be loved in Christ, and from that love be sent into the world.
- For honest speech and mutual love and care for one another.
Benediction
May the almighty and merciful God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, bless and keep us. Amen.