Skip to main content

The Room Where It Happens

 


  Everyone has that place that is special to them. It might be your childhood bedroom. It could be your college dorm or that first tiny apartment you shared with your new spouse. Places that are special not because of their amenities but because of the memories that occurred there.


  For the disciples, it had to be the upper room. The place they shared the last supper and first communion with their Lord. It was probably the place where they were when they heard about his appearance to others and where Jesus showed them his nail-scarred hands and the wound in his side. It could also be the same place where they cast lots to choose Matthias to part of their number. It also might be the room where the Holy Spirt came upon them with tongues of fire and went out of to preach the Gospel.

  I say might and probability because the text never gives us a definite statement that was the same place all these events take place thought it a good educated guess. I wonder if that is so it wouldn’t become a shrine? What we see in the church that is created during this time, it isn’t limited by geography. No place is sacred. The Jews had the temple and Jerusalem to worship but under this New Convent, worship would not be at a location but in the heart and mind of the worshipers ( John 4:21-23). It didn’t matter where the church gathered, where ever it was that place was the church.

  I'm glad we have a stable location to meet in. It's wonderful to have facilities for our use. But let’s never forget that those places are not sacred. Christ’s church isn’t a place but a people. It’s an assembly, not an auditorium.  Joining with the saints isn’t just being at a location, but being part of the body.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Gift You Give Yourself

    I always hated buying gifts for my Mom. If I got her something like a new set of pans, it was like saying “Here’s something you can use to go make me something to eat”. A gift for her was seemingly a gift for me.   There are however gifts you give that benefit you more than the receiver. For example, forgiveness. When you give it, you are giving it to yourself as much as you are giving it to them. Jesus said that when we forgive others it means God is forgiving us our wrongs (Matthew 6:14-15).  I once read: “ Heaven is where everyone's forgiven. Hell is where nobody's forgiven.  So, when we forgive we pull heaven down into our lives.  When we withhold forgiveness, we pull hell up into our lives ” Give yourself something nice today, Forgive.

Desire

  Is it wrong to want something? I guess it depends on what we want.   The Greek language had a word ‘ orego ’ that meant “to stretch oneself out in order to touch or grasp something, often used metaphorically to denote a strong desire or aspiration for something”. Paul uses this word in 1st Timothy as a good thing (to be an elder 3:1) and a bad thing (longing for money 6:10).   Our desires oftentimes define who we are. They motivate us to action. They are the focus of our minds and actions.  And they can be both good and bad.  Sometimes we want something better and we run over people to get it. Sometimes, we want something better so we will strive to improve ourselves.  Sometimes we see people with nothing they want and we envy them. Other people will see with no desire and we pity them.  We need to desire good things. Be willing to work to get them. Care enough to try.  We need to not desire bad things. Be willing to forgo o...

Until Midnight

    In Acts 20, there is the tragicomic event surrounding a young man by the name of Eutychus. He did what a lot of folks before and after him did, he fell asleep during a sermon. Unfortunately, he was setting in in the third story window at the time. So instead of nodding off and hitting the pew in front of him, he fell to his death. The good news was the apostle Paul was delivering the sermon and had the ability to bring him back.       I don’t know, however, if we can judge Eutychus too harshly. The sermon had gone on till midnight. Paul wouldn’t finish it up till daybreak. That’s a long lesson. I know some folks that might want to jump out of a window if I had a lesson that long, yet these Christians wanted to be there to hear Paul.   Don’t get me wrong, I’m not pushing for all night sermons but I think we might need to adopt these folks' dedication. They knew that Paul was only in town for a limited time only and they were determined to ...