Acts 9:1-19 About six years ago when I read Walter Wangerin’s book, Paul: A Novel, I fell in love with Paul. I had always viewed Paul as a cold, hard intellect who used his debating skills for the gospel. But after reading this book, he became flesh and blood to me and reading his letters…
Acts 8:4-25 Simon Magus, or Simon the Magician, about whom we read in Acts 8 has the distinction of being the first heretic in the church and the Simonians, who followed Simon Magus, were a cult that lasted for the first three hundred years of the early church’s history. Justin Martyr and Irenaeus tell the…
Acts 8:26-40 This past Thursday we had a RIC day at the beach. We announced this in the bulletin for at least three weeks ahead of time and I mentioned this in church during announcements. We had a great time. I put up my WWI biplane kite with a long colorful tail and then flew…
Acts 8:1-25 In 1953, Sheldon Harnick wrote a song titled The Merry Minuet for a Broadway show . A group called The Kingston Trio sang this in the 1950s which I want to play for you now. (For those of you reading this sermon, imagine a carefree whistler after each line.) The Merry Minuet by…
Acts 8:1-8 In the animated Woody Allen movie, Antz, a ladybug and a dung beatle are at a garbage dump. They come across some animal scat, feces, excrement, poop, whatever you call it. The ladybug says, “This tastes just like crap.” The dung beatle says, “Really? Let me try some. Hey, it is crap! Not…