WEEKLY MEMO NEWSLETTER

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Volume 5 Issue 19

 MAY BIRTHDAYS

22 Emma ^MacGregor

Acts 16:16-34 is sometimes called, “Choices or Consequences” because it deals with risk-taking. The apostle Paul and his companions have a wide range of experiences, from encountering a slave girl and her owners, to being beaten and jailed, to living through an earthquake and seeing their jailer choose to follow Christ.  When discussing this passage, it is easy to gloss over the slave girl who made money for her owners.  Paul and Silas were beaten and sent to jail because Paul caste out a demon from her which made her incapable of fortune-telling for profit. I agree with others that when we fail to acknowledge her role in this story we continue to use her, just as her owner used her and Paul and Silas used her to further their purpose. Paul and Silas don’t seemed to have used her on purpose, but they did not seem to consider the effect their actions would have on her life situation. This is akin to missionaries who don’t consider the culture of the place to which they travel.  The average follower of Christ treats this young female as a non-issue.  This is one of the “Mary passages” named each time I protested loudly in a usually all-male seminary class when a person whom I considered a focal point was regularly dismissed as non-sequential.  Well, if she were of no import than why would the story be told?  There is more to this and other adventures that must be told.  Slavery is still a fact of life in our modern, highly educated, morally upstanding society and this passage speaks to it head on!  Silas and Paul freed her from the bondage of slavery AND took away her livelihood, or did they re-direct her to a secure path?  Did the Christian community shield her after she was threatened by her slave owners?  If not, then she was left worse off than before they “delivered her.  We learn that after an earthquake the apostolic duo was miraculously saved from a prison they didn’t want to leave.  The jailer, who may have been put to death if they escaped, took Paul and SIlas home to care for them.  The jailer and his household became believers.  Did he loose his job for this daring and caring feat?  While many choices face each character, can we as followers of the Way sometimes hurt when we are trying to help?  Come to Spiritual Connections for more discussion.

Spiritual Connections

Wednesdays,  7:00 pm

Please read : Acts 16:16-34

Revelations 22:12, 14,16-17, 20-21

John 17:20-26

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Personal Boot Camp

Four-week Session 1 ½ Hour each

Thursdays,  5:30 p.m.

Contact David Adams, Sr. 

322-5142 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Get Ready!

Grand Rapids Annual Festival of the Arts

Friday, June 4  to Sunday, June 6

Set-up: Thursday, June 3

          An Opportunity to Be a Gift      

Prayerfully make a

special offering to

Free Spirit Worship Center.

GRACE Fundraiser                                                 

Circle Theatre Presents: ANNIE
Leapin' Lizards! GRACE bought out the house!  Save the date and make sure you can join us for one of the world's best-loved musicals!
Tuesday, July 13
Reception: 6:30 pm 

Showtime: 7:30 pm
Tickets: $30 

 Saturday,

May 15

   The GRACE Racial Justice Institute  provides a focus for mobilizing persons within the religious community and greater Grand Rapids area to respond to issues of racial justice by providing Institutes for Healing Racism (2 day Community or 8 week Faith Based), and by inviting the larger community to join in the effort to eliminate racism through organizational standards and assessments provided by the Partners for a Racism-Free Community initiative.

All Sessions are scheduled at:
Dominican Center (at Marywood)
2025 East Fulton, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Cost: $200 (non-profit and individuals), $300 (for-profit)

Council Meeting

Wednesday, May 19

5:30 pm