Still in Acts

Last week we looked at signs… again! It’s hard NOT to talk about experience when looking at the book of Acts. Even when it is just to remind ourselves that experience is not the main thing!

In Luke, in Acts, signs are… well… signs. They point to something else. What is the something else? It is the announcement of the kingdom. Christ rose! He is the first born of the New Creation arriving right in the middle of history. He ascended to the right hand of God and gives us his Holy Spirit that we may be witnesses of his reign.

And signs... Miracles, healings, tongues, wonders... Every sign and wonder is a billboard, or an arrow, or an informational message, or an indicator to alert us to this new reality: Christ is Lord.

But where are most people at? The theology grabs our attention way less than the experience. Part of it is that the nature of the experiences in the book of Acts are not just a LITTLE alien, they are VERY alien. And the more emphatically I insist, “It’s not the experience but the reality it points to,” the more I open myself up for suspicion! People suspect I am trying to comfort them or placate them with those words. “You don’t experience the power of God in your lives, don’t worry, it’s not about the experience anyway! Everything is fine.”

But I suspect myself of that, too! Sure, the book of Acts is more descriptive then prescriptive, but I don’t want to just rationalize away the disparity between the early church and the church I live in. I want to have my feet held to the fire at least a little bit (my “heart” held to the fire?). I want to hold onto some level of holy dissatisfaction and deep longing for more of God in my life not-limited-to-but-not-excluding experience!

Well. It is Saturday, so I am past this week and must get on to next week. It’s almost here! In any case, the passages that spurred these thoughts on were the communal living of the the believers (Acts 2) and the healing of a lame beggar (Acts 3). I suppose my conclusion is that I will continue to desire to see God show up, even experientially, in the present, but also remember that Peter DID contextualize the signs and wonders, theologically, in the announcement that Christ reigns - which is most important by far.

Signing off, then, with a Bob Marley song:

“Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you’re riding through the ruts, don’t you complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don’t go burying your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake up and live!”