CCC Gainesville | Blog
Sandy continues to spread destruction across the northeast, moving more wind and rain inland and expanding its reach to more than 50 million people. Officials are certain that the losses of life and property in this country as a result of Sandy will exceed projections. At least 26 are confirmed dead, according to the New York Times, and early estimates of economic damage in the region total $20 billion.
Let us remember those who are in harm’s way in our prayers and seek the Lord’s provision for the roughly 6 million people currently without power. We are investigating opportunities to serve those affected by the storm through our own contacts and via Mission to the North America (MNA), our denomination’s disaster relief organization. We will provide updates on those opportunities on this page as they become available.
We are communicating with MNA and will seek to partner with our sister churches from around the country in meeting physical needs. It will be several days before we know the extent of the damage and learn exactly how we can help. If you are interested in participating in any relief efforts, please check back here for updates and contact the office at (352) 379-4949. In the meantime, a special donation center was just set up to receive emergency aid. We are assured that 100% of monies donated here will go directly to relief work on the ground.
For real-time updates from MNA: MNA Storm Response.
But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
(Jeremiah 29:7 ESV)
We’re reading Acts together. Hopefully this is not a news flash to you.
This week:
Mon Oct 29 Acts 7:1-53
Tues Oct 30 Acts 7:54-8:3 + catchup
Wednesday Oct 31 Acts 8:4-40
Thursday Nov 1 Acts 9
Friday Nov 2 Acts 10
Sat Nov 3 Catchup/reflect/review
Acts 7:1-53
Stephen’s mind had evidently soaked up the Old Testament, for his speech is like a patchwork of allusions to it.
Stephen picked out four major epochs of Israel’s history, dominated by four major characters.
First he highlighted Abraham and the patriarchal age (7:2-8); then Joseph and the Egyptian exile (9-19);
thirdly Moses, the Exodus and the wilderness wanderings (20-44); and lastly David and Solomon, and the establishment of the monarchy (45-50). The connecting feature of these four epochs is that in none of them was God’s presence limited to any particular place. On the contrary, the God of the Old Testament was the living God, a God on the move and on the march,
who was always calling his people out to fresh adventures, and always accompanying and directing them as they went.James Boice: Stephen’s speech is a transition speech that paves the way for presenting the gospel to the Gentiles, which begins in the very next chapter of Acts.
Each of our classrooms has an apprentice this year. All of our apprentice’s serve most every Sunday alongside one of our Core Teachers. Today I would like to introduce you to Olivia Pendley. If you have a child in the K/1st class during the first worship hour it is likely they are getting to know Olivia. We encourage you to step in and introduce yourself if you have not yet had a chance to meet her.
Meet Olivia:
Hi, my name is Olivia Pendley. I was born in Gainesville and have grown up here.
I am a Freshman at Buchholz high school. I swim for their swim and dive team as well.
I have been apprenticing in the Schackow’s kindergarten and 1st grade class. I have really enjoyed being with the kids, they are all so sweet. Plus it is great to learn what it’s like to teach a class. Thank you!
We’re reading through Acts together. Today we’re at chapter 4. In just four short days God has reminded me; and many of you, I pray–of the glory of Jesus and the urgency with which the church is to live. Today’s reading contains a “how to” on prayer. After reading Acts chapter 4, enjoy John Stott’s comments:
Having been bold in witness, they were equally bold in prayer. Their first word was *Despotes, Sovereign Lord*, a term used of a slave owner and of a ruler of unchallengeable power. The Sanhedrin might utter warnings, threats and prohibitions, and try to silence the church, but their authority was subject to a higher authority still, and the edicts of men cannot overturn the decrees of God.
Next we observe that, before the people came to any petition, they filled their minds with thoughts of the divine sovereignty. First, he is the God of creation, who *made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them* (24). Secondly, he is the God of revelation, who *spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of…David*, and in Psalm 2 (already in the first century BC recognized as Messianic) had foretold the world’s opposition to his Christ, with nations raging, peoples plotting, kings standing and rulers assembling against the Lord’s Anointed (25-26), Thirdly, he is the God of history, who had caused even his enemies (Herod and Pilate, Gentiles and Jews, united in a conspiracy against Jesus, verse 27) to do what his *power and will had decided beforehand should happen* (28). This, then, was the early church’s understanding of God, the God of creation, revelation and history, whose characteristic actions are summarised by the three verbs ‘you made’ (24), ‘you spoke’ (25) and ‘you decided’ (28).
Only now with their vision of God clarified, and themselves humbled before him, were they ready at last to pray. Luke tells us their three main requests. The first was that God would *consider their threats* (29a). It was not a prayer that their threats would fall under divine judgement, nor even that they would remain unfulfilled, so that the church would be preserved in peace and in safety, but only that God would *consider* them, would bear them in his mind. The second petition was that God would enable them his *servants* (literally ‘slaves’) to speak his Word *with great boldness* (29b), undeterred by the Councils prohibition and unafraid of their threats. The third prayer was that God would *stretch out his hand to heal*, and to perform *miraculous signs and wonders* in and *through the name of…Jesus* (30). As Alexander pointed out, ‘their demand is not now for miracles of vengeance or destruction, such as fire from heaven Lk.9:54), but for miracles of mercy’. Moreover, the word and the signs would go together, the signs and wonders confirming the word proclaimed with boldness.
In answer to their united and earnest prayers,
(i) *the place…was shaken*’ and as Chrysostom commented, ‘that made them the more unshaken’;
(ii)*they were all* again *filled with the Holy Spirit*; and
(iii), in response to their specific request (29), they *spoke the word of God boldly* (31). Nothing is said in this context of an answer to their other specific prayer, namely for miracles of healing (30), but it would probably be legitimate to see 5:12 as the answer: ‘The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people.’
From Todd Best:
Perhaps you’ve seen the announcement recently in the church bulletin about the Opus Project launch event to be held on Friday, Nov. 16 from 7:00 to 8:30pm. We hope that you plan to join us for this important evening of conversation, and I wanted to take a few minutes to explain what the Opus Project is all about and what you can expect from the event.
The Opus Project on Faith, Work, and Culture, out of love for God and neighbor, nurtures reflection and conversation about our shared contribution to the flourishing of society and the renewal of all things.
Opus will include classes, reading groups, and special events in which we read, hear, view and take in various forms of culture, discuss the significance of such things, and consider how we might take steps in cultivating cultural activity for the common good. All this is rooted in the foundational theological vision of God’s grand mission to renew all things through the work of Christ. Some concepts that help us ground this project include: faithful presence, shalom and cultural renewal. We will be unpacking these in the coming weeks.
We’ve been referring to Nov. 16 as a launch event because it is the official unveiling of this new initiative of Christ Community that will have an ongoing presence in the life of our church. The Opus Project has been steadily developing for the last year or so, and there is a good chance you have been involved with it in some capacity. If the term Opus has a familiar ring to it, that’s because our Vision Night last fall was called the Opus Event. That night we had a congregational conversation about our collective callings and work. In many ways, the Opus Project has grown directly out of that event. In the spring of this year, we offered a class on finding meaning in work. Then this summer we hosted the Opus Reading group which met monthly. And this fall’s class on the church and the common good brings us to the present. But until now, the Opus Project on Faith, Work, and Culture has mostly been on the down-low. Now it’s time to launch the larger, fuller version of this project that will include one-time events as well as regularly occurring discussions.
The event on Nov. 16 will include a brief presentation by Rob Pendley and me that will serve as an introduction to the Opus Project, followed by four breakout sessions on our four focus areas: work, arts and culture, social justice and the neighborhood. In order to lay some groundwork and to help us all start thinking in this direction, Richard Horner will be preaching the next two Sundays.
We hope you can make it to this event as we expand our concepts and begin thinking of how we might work for the good of our community. Please check your calendars and RSVP your intent.
Note to families: childcare will be provided at $3 per child, but we need your RSVP.
To RSVP or for more details, email me at toddbest@gmail.com or see Chris Hiatt or Stephen Addcox.
