Sunday Morning Thought – Transforming Acts

I’ve been working on the catalog description for a forthcoming book, Transforming Acts, by Bruce Epperly. A couple of lines stood out to me yesterday as I was reading to get material for my description. Bruce talks about a group of “restless seekers within and beyond the church.” He says: “They want integrity, authenticity, spirituality, and liveliness.”

Sometimes I hear people putting down “seekers” as though their very quest was somehow sordid. If they were really seeking God, I’m told, they wouldn’t want all this “stuff.”

But I think Bruce is onto something important here. Seekers are not necessarily, or even likely, self seekers. They’re looking for something real. If we don’t have it in our churches, if they can’t perceive it in our worship services or see it in our actions, they’re right to go right on seeking.

Bruce goes on to say:

I believe that Acts of the Apostles provides a fluid, open-spirited, and holistic faith for twenty-first century people as well as a vision for congregational transformation and renewal. Anything can happen to those who follow Jesus. Life is adventurous, surprising, and interesting. Worship leads to mission and mission challenges narrow-mindedness and self-imposed limitations. For those who embrace the spirit of Acts of the Apostles, worship will never be boring and every day will be a holy adventure.

Will your Sunday School, church service, and indeed all the activities of your congregation have integrity, authenticity, spirituality, and liveliness?