Date: 24 Apr 2001
Time: 14:39:18
Is no one preaching on this passage? I'm torn between preaching about conversions and preaching about being called to do what we are loathe to do. Any ideas form my coleagues out there? Martie in Rose
Date: 24 Apr 2001
Time: 15:14:29
I will have an infant baptism this Sunday, and want to link the sacrament to Paul's story. Paul, of course, has a dramatic conversion, but his experience is unlike mine and so many. My walk in faith has been comprised of many small conversions along the way, a slow-growing awareness of my identity as a Christian. How might this infant's life of faith relate to Paul's?
Date: 24 Apr 2001
Time: 16:36:44
I know a man who reminds me of Ananias.
In the small town in southern Mississippi where I had my first parish, an African American minister, who was without a church at the time, showed up at the large, all-white Southern Baptist church. Unfortunately, there still exist hostilities between blacks and whites in our town. (I am sure these hostilities are in your towns too, but these were well above the surface.) Needless to say, this man attending that church was an act of courage on his part and a time for adjustment on the part of the congregation. The white minister was afraid to say anything to silence the loud murmurings of his congregation. After four weeks of tension and gossiping, the black minister was called to a wonderful all-black church down the road.
Why did the black minister decide to attend the white church for a month? Why would he put himself and that church in such an uncomfortable position? He simply told me that God put it on his heart to do so. "It was just one of those things I knew I had to do while I was between churches. Do you think I am crazy? I know some of those people. Some of them aren't so kind to folks who look like me. I told God I wouldn't gonna go, but God made me."
Years later, this black pastor related this story to me as he, the new pastor of that all-white Baptist church, and I had coffee together one morning. We were planning a worship service for the entire community to be held at the Baptist Church. The black minister, who was ostracized in that same sanctuary years before, preached a glorious sermon to a packed house.
DSS
Date: 24 Apr 2001
Time: 18:39:21
What is the significance of the 3 days without sight and without eating or drinking? Does this correlate to Saul dying to self and being raised as the new creation of Paul, who has seen the risen Christ? PBinOH
Date: 24 Apr 2001
Time: 23:48:32
One commentator I read this week asked, did Saul convert (totally change), or did he finally give in to his curiosity about Christianity? The way Stephen died, and Stephen's last words, must have been on Saul's mind during that long trek from Jerusalem to Damascus. The essays I've read disagree on whether the transformation had anything at all to do with what must've been going on in Saul's mind, or whether it was entirely an act of God, regardless of Saul's preparation. I'm still wrestling with that question.
At what points have we stopped short in what we're doing? In what ways does our culture need to drop its momentum and do something different -- God's will? Still pondering these things, but seeing no other comments posted yet, I hoped to get us started. MTSOfan
Date: 25 Apr 2001
Time: 03:27:50
I think I might let the story speak for itself and tie it in with Saul/Paul story in Acts: "Voices and Visions." Look what happens when you hear a voice or see a vision: "Follow me," Jesus says. Sharon in Bethlehem
Date: 25 Apr 2001
Time: 15:18:16
No one's preaching on Acts??? Well, I am, and having preached on this passage before, I and my lectionary group decided to look at it from a different angle. It's all about Saul's infamous conversion, the beginning of the star that is Paul in our NT. But we wondered about Ananias. We're looking at it from his standpoint. He was God's instrument to lay his hands upon Saul and "set him on the road" to becoming who he is meant to be. But what faith and commitment it took for Ananias to do such a thing!! Saul was evil! He was persecuting and calling for the deaths of Christians-- he was instrumental in the deaths of Christians. For God to call upon Ananias to come and welcome him into the Christian fellowship was like asking a relative of a bomb victim from Oklahoma City to call for McVeigh's release and invite him to church! I'm sure Saul's name held the same intense emotional heat and rage to people back then, as McVeigh's name holds for people today, especially the families of his victims. Ananias risked a lot to trust that it was God's voice calling him to this radical and contraversial act. If Ananias hadn't been faithful, what would have happened? He was God's instrument to bring about Paul's ministry. Paul may be the star here, but Ananias helped get him where he "is today." yet when Paul recounts his conversion experience, there is no mention of Ananias. We hear nothing of him again, yet his faith and his obedience were great. Reminds me of Andrew, the little-known disciple, who brought his brother Simon to Jesus, who became Peter, the Rock. Just some thoughts! PM in PA
Date: 25 Apr 2001
Time: 16:29:42
I'm going with this text for Sunday. As remarkable as Paul's story is, I'm more fascinated by Ananias' faithful response to Christ's call to do something that seems outlandish on the face of it. I guess I identify with Ananias' call more than Paul's because it more closely parallels my own. While I've not had a vision I have often felt great discomfort at the things God has called me to do; I have been just as certain that it was God's voice I was hearing as if I'd had a vision.
As a theme I'm going with the fact that God still calls people is our great hope, individually and collectively. It never starts with us; it starts with God's gracious call. And God will call whom God will call. A friend in my Walk to Emmaus reunion group is praying hard for Timothy McVeigh, who expresses no remorse at the Oklahoma City bombing. I'm now praying that same way. If Saul of Tarsus can do a turnabout, why not Timothy McVeigh if God calls him? Maybe it would take being struck by a 2x4 like it did with Paul... God can still do that.
I am looking to include some helpful hints on discerning that it is God's voice we hear. (Does it align with scripture? What counsel do mature Christian friends give?) I'll also look at some of the naysaying voices that compete with God's call, like comfort, convenience, "reasonableness." Those things can be like putting on a blindfold and earplugs (which I may do during the sermon) and then saying, "Now, God, you certainly weren't calling me to..."
Jeff in Jax, FL
Date: 25 Apr 2001
Time: 17:21:20
I think there are two miracles happening here: Saul is converted AND the church in Damascus risked taking him in. JGC
Date: 26 Apr 2001
Time: 01:12:52
Since no one else is preaching on this text I think I will. If God could change and call a man Like Paul he can use any of us. Any ideas. Harold in Alabama
Date: 26 Apr 2001
Time: 16:31:54
The "conversion" of Ananias reminds me of an excellent sermon I heard years ago at someone's ordination. The pastor reminded the ordinand (and all of us) that it is God's blessing we offer and not our own. That bit of truth has humbled me many a time when I've been tempted to be judgemental.
Date: 27 Apr 2001
Time: 01:37:08
This Sunday we'll have an infant baptism, and I'm trying to link the sacrament of baptism to this text. Paul, of course, has a dramatic conversion, but most of us, I suspect, have discovered our identity as Christians after a series of several small conversions. Perhaps some of us don't even remember a time when we were not a Christian.
Does anyone else see a connection between this text and the baptism of an infant?
Rev. John, Esq.
Date: 27 Apr 2001
Time: 14:41:05
If I were connnecting this story with the baptism of an infant, I would make a connection with the Holy Spirit. We receive the Spirit at baptism and so too does Paul recieve it with the coming of Ananias. Both the infant and Paul receive the spirit at the beginning of their new life in Christ.
I might also tie in Ananias as the vehicle through whom the grace of God is given. This child will receive God's grace throughout her life through her parents, godparents, and church family. We learn about the Lord from others already in the faith.
Also, you might point out that different people come to faith in different ways: In a blinding flash of clarity about Christ's existance and love, or in a slow understanding and growth over time that the love has been there all along since you were an infant. Both are valid and real. Sometimes people experience a combination of both. I personally like to think of my faith journey as like a series of steppes. I have a moving insight, and then cruise along for a while in steady faith, then another insight, and so on. It's growth over time. There are particular moments that I can point to which moved me profoundly and which cause my faith to grow, but no one BIG MOMENT. God's love is always there in the background urging and supporting me onward on my faith journey.
Blessings, Rev. Steph in MD
Date: 27 Apr 2001
Time: 16:26:18
I have not preached the lectionary for a while and so have not read or posted anything here - but it is certainly helpful to read people's thoughts. I am preaching on this passage as part of a series on the way that Jesus changes us - One aspect is that Saul/ Paul goes through confusion He goes into blindness, dependence, not eating until Ananias comes So, this is not a "I was blind and now I see" but I was thrown for a loop when I could "see" - became blind and then received new sight. Whether I do anything with this or not I don't know - but I recognize that this is certainly what I go through in times of God led change. I can get hit by an alternate vision or version of events and then I go through confusion and unsureness until I receive a spiritual confirmation. Does this make sense? I think want I want to do is help people to recognize that conversion is ongoing and it requires patience and community as we check out our insights from God. What do you think? Margot
Date: 27 Apr 2001
Time: 17:54:32
Hi folks,
The current issue of Christian Century has some good insights into this passage, offered by Heidi Peterson. In this story there are two models of Christian conversion, Saul's and Annanias'. Annanias was a convert. He was a person who lived close to the divine, on conversational terms with God. When God appeared, Annanias was not struck speechless, sightless and apetiteless. He talked back. When Saul spoke with Jesus, he was immobilized for days. Saul's conversion is not told as the normative faith experience, it is the extraordinary one.
Also, Saul's conversion experience was not the be all and end all. "The lasting mark of conversion is not one date circled in red on the calendar, but the whole story of one's life. In the end, Saul's dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus is worth telling only because of what he did afterwards."
Happy preaching, Larry cny
Date: 28 Apr 2001
Time: 00:15:40
Hi.
Thanks, Larry, for the insight of the conversion of Ananias! I suspect most of us are usually preaching to folks who are more like Ananias than Saul. This says a few things to me:
1 - We all need conversion, every day! Even if we can circle a day in red on a calendar from years ago...
2 - We preachers must be careful about dictating exactly what kind of conversion our listeners need! Some need a Saul experience, some need an Ananias experience. As was said before, both are valid!
3 - What kind of conversion do we PREACHERS need???
4 - The other point (so far! ;-) ) is that both of the conversions in this wonderful story are NOT conversions to a new kind of knowledge or information. They are conversions to a new and/or deeper relationship (the "R" word, terribly mis-used and abused, but appropriate in this case nevertheless!). Saul proclaiming "He is the Son of God" is not passing on useful information, it's a declaration of identity and relationship.
Thanks for listening. Thanks for contributing!
Rick in a new part of Canada, eh?
Date: 28 Apr 2001
Time: 03:19:55
We have an amazing account of grace contained in this scripture. First, Jesus offers prevenient grace in the form of Saul's dramatic experience on the road to Damascus. We aren't told what other events occurred before he went to Damascus - how the "coincidences" in Saul's life worked to put him on the road at the right time.
Second, Saul is convicted and accepts Christ as his Savior sometime during the three days. I would suspect it occurred on the road there, but scripture doesn't specify an exact time. His conversion would have happened before his prayers and visions.
Third, Saul is the recepient of sanctifying grace when Ananais came to him and laid his hands on him.
We can be means ( or and instrument) of grace like Ananais - we can invite someone to church or show them totally unmerited Christian kindness (prevenient grace). We can lead them to Christ via an invitation (justifying grace). We can help in their growth as a disciple as Ananais did (sanctifying grace).
Many of these activities are terrifying - Ananais was scared out of his wits, but he followed God's direction and thus was a messenger (means) of grace. We can "get out of the box" because God is with us in these activities.
Henry in Sunny Arizona
Date: 28 Apr 2001
Time: 13:12:05
Williamson doesn't see this as a conversion at all. After all, Saul has spent his entire life working for God, as a pharissee. Rather than a conversion to faith, this story is God redirecting the faithful, as happened so many times to the wayward disciples throughout the gospels. It would be arrogant of any of us to assume that there are not parts of our own religious practice that don't need redirecting. Fortunately God works not only on us, but also on the rest of the church (ie Annanias) to help in this process. The radical grace and second chances for us echo well with the gospel. Czar in Stovertown, OH
Date: 28 Apr 2001
Time: 15:42:26
I think I will be preaching this text with emphasis on Ananias as well. Just think what the church could be doing for Christ if we were obedient instead of judgmental. Ananias was willing to take great risks in his meeting with Paul. He could not have known the outcome of this meeting - often the church wants to be sure of the outcome before we move ahead. Where is room for faith in this? Just a thought. PC in OH
Date: 28 Apr 2001
Time: 19:56:45
Henry in Arizona offered:
"Saul is convicted and accepts Christ as his Savior sometime during the three days. ... His conversion would have happened before his prayers and visions. "
It seems to me, Henry, that you might be reading something into this story that isn't here. It strikes me that the point of this story is not Saul's acceptance of Christ, rather Christ's acceptance of Saul.
Also, I guess I don't see why Saul's conversion "would have happened before the prayers and visions." Is God not capable of speaking to people in their own language or situation, regardless of what their belief system might look like?
I am as guilty as any of wearing blinders, but it seems to me that we need to be careful of imposing some sort of structure on this (or any other) story so we can "understand it." I suggest we need to let the story do to us what it's going to do (ie., get RID of our imposed structures!) to remove the scales from our own eyes, that we might get up, be strengthened and serve.
Rick in Canada, eh?
Date: 28 Apr 2001
Time: 20:08:20
Ananias set example for to reach out to others. Even those who our aganist us. Paul was coming to do harm to Christians. Ananias was ask by God to go to Paul. Take a risk. Change the Paul direction in ministry. Now Paul became a servant of God in name of Christ. Dan in Harmony
Date: 28 Apr 2001
Time: 21:18:06
Ananias is to Saul as the Beloved Disciple is to Peter: they interpret the experience: "It is the Lord."
Ananias is also very much like Jonah not wanting to preach to the opressor Nineveh/Saul. It is a facinating comparison.
tom in ga