Scripture Passages
Acts 2:42
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Reflect on the Passages
Take a moment to read through the passages slowly. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you through them.
Is there a word or phrase that God is drawing to your attention? What is He saying to you through these passages?
Engage with the Message
1) What stood out to you from the Scripture passages and/or this week's message?
2) In what ways is God challenging you and/or encouraging you through the message?
3) Ed shared a poem called "Exposed" by Sarah Bournes (see below). What do you think that the pandemic has exposed in the church? What has the pandemic exposed in you?
4) What stands out to you about the description of the early church in passage from the book of Acts? How does this description of the church compare to the church in our context?
5) What kinds of things did the followers of Jesus have to reimagine in terms of how they understood their faith? What are some of the things that you think God is calling us to reimagine as the church as we emerge from the pandemic?
6) What gets in the way of our ability to reimagine the way what it means to live as followers of Jesus in our world?
7) In what ways do you sense that God is calling Evergreen to be a blessing to our community?
8) What opportunities do you see for the Church to represent the Kingdom of God in a new way as we emerge from the pandemic?
Exposed by Sarah Bournes
We’ve all been exposed.
Not necessarily to the virus
(maybe...who even knows ).
We’ve all been exposed BY the virus.
Corona is exposing us.
Exposing our weak sides.
Exposing our dark sides.
Exposing what normally lays far beneath the surface of our souls,
hidden by the invisible masks we wear.
Now exposed by the paper masks we can’t hide far enough behind.
Corona is exposing our addiction to comfort.
Our obsession with control.
Our compulsion to hoard.
Our protection of self.
Corona is peeling back our layers.
Tearing down our walls.
Revealing our illusions.
Leveling our best-laid plans.
Corona is exposing the gods we worship:
Our health
Our hurry
Our sense of security.
Our favorite lies
Our secret lusts
Our misplaced trust.
Corona is calling everything into question:
What is the church without a building?
What is my worth without an income?
How do we plan without certainty?
How do we love despite risk?
Corona is exposing me.
My mindless numbing
My endless scrolling
My careless words
My fragile nerves.
We’ve all been exposed.
Our junk laid bare.
Our fears made known.
The band-aid torn.
The masquerade done.
So what now? What’s left?
Clean hands
Clear eyes
Tender hearts.
What Corona reveals, God can heal.
Come Lord Jesus.
Have mercy on us.
