Narrative Lectionary Program Year – Stephen’s Witness
Acts 6.1--7.2a, 44-60
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Furthering the Power of God’s Story – Narrative Lectionary Commentary
by Rev. Dr. Clint Schnekloth
Don’t miss this opportunity to teach about the biblical and ecclesiological role of deacons in the life of Christian community. In many Christian traditions, far too many of the gifts of the church have been concentrated in the professionalized clergy.
Nothing against clergy. The stability of clergy in the life of the church, and the clarity of their function and role, has served Christianity well in many ways.
However, it’s unrealistic to burden one person, or a small group of people, with all the tasks necessary to the function of the church. In this passage in Acts, the focus is on care of widows and service at the table. The apostles will not have time for their apostolic function—travel, starting new ministries, spreading the gospel—if they also have to be back at the home church always caring for the needs of those in the spiritual and material care of the church.
Thus the deacons. The deacons, set apart and designated by the church for a ministry of service, have from this early moment in the church recorded in acts, fulfilled a ministry of word and service. They preach like pastors preach, but in place of the sacramental functions of the church they focus on service and care in community.
In my own tradition, the ELCA, we now recognize deacons as a part of one “rostered ministry” of our denomination. There are pastors, and there are deacons. Ministers of Word & Sacrament, and ministers of Word & Service.
In practice, deacons find a wide variety of ways to serve. Some direct preschools or health ministries. Others function as social workers. Others serve in nursing homes. Some focus on social justice, and organize in the streets.
This designation of deacons in the early church can also be a reminder of the wide array of functions the people of God are called to and gifted with in the Spirit. Some are called to be pastors, others apostles, others prophets, others evangelists, others teachers, all for the building up of the body of Christ.
In this mix, there are the deacons, humbly but faithfully caring for the needs of the community and waiting at table. In so many ways, they are the best of us.
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The following links and resources are not produced or maintained by Clergy Stuff. However, at the time of this posting, the links were active and considered to be good source material for proclamation for the text for this week. Please scroll down or click on the quick jump menu you find below. For more free worship resources & planning materials, please visit our links for RCL Worship Resources.
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Ministers of Word & Service, Norma Cook Everist
Rereading Acts 6:1-7: Lessons for Multicultural Missions Organizations, Hansung Kim
Great Quotes
“The bishops will govern the Church, the priests will do all the work and the deacons will have all the fun. ”
“Officially, the New Testament church at an early stage took seriously their responsibility for widows who lacked family or other resources. The office of deacon was instituted initially to address this pressing need.”
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Called to be deacons
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Free Dramatic Reading For This Text (NRSV)
Readers: Narrator, Disciples, Freedman, High Priest, Stephen
Narrator: Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said,
Disciples: It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.
Narrator: What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated some men to say,
Freedmen: We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.
Narrator: They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. They set up false witnesses who said,
Freedmen: This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us.
Narrator: And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. Then the high priest asked him,
High Priest: Are these things so?
Narrator: And Stephen replied:
Stephen: Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. Our ancestors had the tent of testimony in the wilderness, as God directed when he spoke to Moses, ordering him to make it according to the pattern he had seen. Our ancestors in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our ancestors. And it was there until the time of David, who found favor with God and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the house of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for him. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with human hands; as the prophet says, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?” You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it.
Narrator: When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
Stephen: Look,
Narrator: he said,
Stephen: I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!
Narrator: But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed,
Stephen: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
Narrator: Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice,
Stephen: Lord, do not hold this sin against them.
Narrator: When he had said this, he died.