Date:Thur, March 12th 
Scripture: Acts 12:7-10
“And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, ‘Get up quickly’ And his chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, ‘Gird yourself and put on your sandals.’ And he did so.”
By Rev. Michelle Bodle, Susquehana Conference of the United Methodist Church
Peter was arrested during the celebration of the festival of Unleavened Bread. Herod was on a rampage, killing James by the sword. But the Church still fervently prayed in the face of oppression and the unknown for Peter, even as he was thrown in jail. And their prayers were answered in a powerful way. Before Peter was going to be brought before Herod, probably to face the same fate as James, the angel of the Lord comes and breaks him out of prison. Even when he was bound in chains. Even with a guard on either side of him. Only Peter thought what he was experiencing was actually a dream – a vision. Not real. It wasn’t until he cleared the two gates of the prison and found himself standing in front of the city gate that he realized that he had been rescued by the Lord.
It is my hope and prayer that as Christians we are in the business of bringing freedom. Of liberating the captive. Of seeking justice. Of praying both with our hearts and our feet. Only at times, I fear that we choose a life of comfort for ourselves over a life marked by righteousness and justice. In fact, in seeking that self-comfort at times we end up being the people who are putting chains on folks, through systemic oppression. Still other times, we can become so discouraged in seeking to bring freedom in the face of so much brokenness and evil in our world, that we think we are simply chasing after a dream. But as Peter reminds us in today’s scripture passage, what seems like a far-off vision or distant dream, can actually become reality when the people of God pray and respond to the movement of the Holy Spirit. Church, it’s time to get up and put on our sandals- we are chasing after the light of Christ and moving towards freedom.
Prayer: Almighty God, whose blessed son was led by the spirit to be tempted by Satan, make speed to help your servants who are also assaulted by manifold temptations, and let each of us find you mighty to save through Jesus Christ. Amen
Criminal Justice Fact: The continued use of long term punitive solitary confinement in the US is in direct conflict with international standards, including recommendations made by the UN Committee Against Torture.
Action: Sign the National Religious Campaign Against Torture’s statement of conscience “Torture is a Moral Issue” and share why you signed with your friends.
http://www.nrcat.org/get-involved/sign-the-statement-of-conscience
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