Acts 6

Last Wednesday we read Acts 6. This is what we heard. The apostles faced an administrative problem in the daily table service. Some of the Greek widows were being "overlooked" or neglected by the Hebrews. (There is ethnic division in the community that is effecting service for the poor ad vulnerable.) The apostles respond to this neglect by identifying another problem. They are neglecting the Word of GOD in order to serve tables. in a sense they have abandoned God's Word to serve the poor. Interesting how there is already a division occurring within gospel ministry---service of the Word and service of the people. Incarnational mission in the community leads to neglect of God's Word. And so they respond. They could have decided to divide the labor between the 12. 6 of us will serve the Hebrews and 6 of us will serve the Greeks. But they don't. They make a bolder move. They step out of the daily table service ministry and hand it over to seven others, known in the community for their Spirit and wisdom. Philip and Stephen are part of this group of emerging, indigenous servant-leaders. The apostles actually give up, surrender their public role as "soup kitchen volunteers". And they devote themselves to the service of the Word and to prayer. Now, this was not the first monastic community, either. They were not spearating social ministry from prayer. That is a later construct and one that impoverishes the church. But we can learn a lesson here. Both the administrative business of the church and the sacred business are equally important. We ought not to neglect either. As a result of the apostolic decision to serve the Word and prayer (a priestly function) "many priests became obedient to the faith." What happens when a church council decides, for example to eliminat bible study from meetings? I think it diminishes our capacity to hear God speak to us regarding the other business at hand. We like to keep God out of our "secular business decisions", don't we? Bible study is fine, so long as it doesn't interfere with our priorities.
One of the questions the story asks us is "who or what is being neglected in the church?" Is God's Word and prayer being neglected, left out, abandoned? Is daily service rendered to the vulnerable and the least being neglected? I find it interesting that ther eis little more said about this daily table service. How did it emerge? What was it about? Acts is ambiguous about this for a reason. t is enough, I think, to hear that the community was serving the poorest and most vulnerable every day somehow. And the result was a good problem to have. They were serving a growing number of people, both Jews and Greeks. They were becoming multicultural. And they were struggling. The response was that the apostles empowered others in the community and gave away that ministry so that they could devote themselves to God's Word and prayer. And the selected men met a certain criteria or lithmus test: people who are well-regarded, full of the Spirit and wisdom. They were passionate about Christ and the mission, and they were thoughtful about how to engage in it. The apostles literally laid hands on them, thereby publically acknowledging their empowerment and authorization.
Amazingly enough, in this congregation there are people who do not acknowledge that the church has empowered and authorized me by ordination to this ministry, to call this flock to discipleship that includes attention to God's Word and prayer, and attention to the needs of the local/global community. But it is not surprising. When Stephen, one of the seven, speaks truth about Jesus to people in authority he is stoned to death. I know what its like to have stones cast at you. Funny thing is, they don't hurt me anymore. I suspect they didnt hurt Stephen either.
May God be glorified.