I like to remember how things started for us.
Acts never ceases to inspire and amaze me, and to make me laugh. More on that as we go along, but suffice it to say that I see Acts as the story of imperfect people trying their best to do the early work given to them by a perfect God. Actually, it reminds me of being a parent--it's not always easy to access the instruction book!
For me, reading the story of the infant Church is like seeing the first green sprout appear above the soil after a planted seed germinates.
A little background...the book of Acts was most likely written about 50 years after Jesus died on the cross (approximately A.D. 80-90). It was written in the first century by Luke, the gospel writer, as the second part of his two-volume work. We know he was a Syrian from Antioch and was "not part of the first generation of Christian disciples."*
Jump to the present...this past Thursday was 40 days after Easter. It was our annual celebration of Jesus' Ascension back to the Father. And Pentecost, which comes 50 days after Easter, is just 6 days away. The Book of Acts, chapter 1, tells the story of this tumultuous time for the apostles as they began the job Jesus left them with.
Acts 1 in a nutshell: Just before ascending back to the Father, while on the Mount of Olives, Jesus tells his followers to return to Jerusalem and wait until the Holy Spirit empowers them for their mission. So they did that, they began waiting and praying together, and they chose a replacement for Judas Iscariot, whose story we all know.
For me, this chapter recounts the transition from the time Jesus was with them to the time Peter becomes their leader here on earth. Though many have had issue with the papacy over the years, for me the unbroken lineage is remarkable nonetheless.
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