The Journey 201: One While Eating, Separate While Meeting (Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla)
Read: Acts 17:16-34
This is the time of the summer camps. Even as I write this devotion, I am with the youths of the New Jersey Marthoma Church for their annual youth retreat at the Refreshing Mountain Camp in Pennsylvania. Refreshing Mountain Camp is one of the most beautiful camp sites that I have ever visited. We just had another youth retreat camp organized by the Philadelphia Marthoma Youth Fellowship also at the picturesque Poconos Mountain. These retreats are wonderful because it is a good getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city life, consciously taking time to spend time with the youths, both in building up of relationship and fellowship among the youths and also in the fellowship and building up of the relationship with the Lord. One of the most unique things while attending these retreats is the sight of the number of church’s that come together to use the facilities of the camp centre at the same time. At one particular time you can sometimes find groups from five to six church coming together enjoying the common facilities like swimming pool, the basketball court and other games. The most wonderful sight is the whole group coming together at the dining hall and eating together and enjoying the beauty of a shared meal. But once the table fellowship is over, each groups goes to each of the assigned hall for their time of group fellowship. The Baptist goes to one hall, the Presbyterians to another hall, the Pentecostals t another hall and the Marthoma youths to another hall. There is common fellowship during the eating time but no common fellowship during the meeting time. Sounds Strange Is int it?. What does this speak to us in terms of our unity as Christians and our common unity as we say in the Nicene creed “ We believe in one holy, catholic, apostolic church”? . This week we are meditating on the theme “ Transformation in our Church”. The portion that we shall use for our meditation is from Acts 17:16-34. This is one of the most striking passages in the book of Acts where Paul uses a unique methodology to preach the gospel. When he comes to Athens, he is greatly distressed because the city was full of idols. He has a debate with the epicurean and the stoic philosophers there [Acts 17: 18]. When he tells them about the good news about Jesus Christ, they are upset of the fact that they think Paul was bringing into their life and thinking, a perception of a new idol. It in this context that Paul stands up in the meeting with Areopagus and declares and commends the people of Athens about their religiosity. It is after commending them about their religiosity, that Paul presents the gospel. Here is Paul who is not vindictive nor critical on the contrary accepts their religiosity and the differences that they have, and then presents the gospel. What is needed for the members of the different Church's is to at least respect the different traditions of faith from the Word of God that each of the church profess to believe rather than critical and trying to act and behave as if they are the true church. Let us try to build the unity that God gives to us and thus make a common witness of the gospel in this world. Let us try to build a sense of unity not only in our eating but also in our meetings.
This is the time of the summer camps. Even as I write this devotion, I am with the youths of the New Jersey Marthoma Church for their annual youth retreat at the Refreshing Mountain Camp in Pennsylvania. Refreshing Mountain Camp is one of the most beautiful camp sites that I have ever visited. We just had another youth retreat camp organized by the Philadelphia Marthoma Youth Fellowship also at the picturesque Poconos Mountain. These retreats are wonderful because it is a good getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city life, consciously taking time to spend time with the youths, both in building up of relationship and fellowship among the youths and also in the fellowship and building up of the relationship with the Lord. One of the most unique things while attending these retreats is the sight of the number of church’s that come together to use the facilities of the camp centre at the same time. At one particular time you can sometimes find groups from five to six church coming together enjoying the common facilities like swimming pool, the basketball court and other games. The most wonderful sight is the whole group coming together at the dining hall and eating together and enjoying the beauty of a shared meal. But once the table fellowship is over, each groups goes to each of the assigned hall for their time of group fellowship. The Baptist goes to one hall, the Presbyterians to another hall, the Pentecostals t another hall and the Marthoma youths to another hall. There is common fellowship during the eating time but no common fellowship during the meeting time. Sounds Strange Is int it?. What does this speak to us in terms of our unity as Christians and our common unity as we say in the Nicene creed “ We believe in one holy, catholic, apostolic church”? . This week we are meditating on the theme “ Transformation in our Church”. The portion that we shall use for our meditation is from Acts 17:16-34. This is one of the most striking passages in the book of Acts where Paul uses a unique methodology to preach the gospel. When he comes to Athens, he is greatly distressed because the city was full of idols. He has a debate with the epicurean and the stoic philosophers there [Acts 17: 18]. When he tells them about the good news about Jesus Christ, they are upset of the fact that they think Paul was bringing into their life and thinking, a perception of a new idol. It in this context that Paul stands up in the meeting with Areopagus and declares and commends the people of Athens about their religiosity. It is after commending them about their religiosity, that Paul presents the gospel. Here is Paul who is not vindictive nor critical on the contrary accepts their religiosity and the differences that they have, and then presents the gospel. What is needed for the members of the different Church's is to at least respect the different traditions of faith from the Word of God that each of the church profess to believe rather than critical and trying to act and behave as if they are the true church. Let us try to build the unity that God gives to us and thus make a common witness of the gospel in this world. Let us try to build a sense of unity not only in our eating but also in our meetings.