A Reflection for Friday, March 7 by Rev. Mary Peterson
Lectionary Readings for March 7, 2025: Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16; Exodus 6:1-13; Acts 7:35-42
Selected passage for reflection: Acts 7:30-42
Read
Acts 7:33-34 The Message
“God said, ‘Kneel and pray. You are in a holy place, on holy ground. I’ve seen the agony of my people in Egypt. I’ve heard their groans. I’ve come to help them. So get yourself ready; I’m sending you back to Egypt.’
Reflect
I remember hearing the story of the burning bush multiple times as a kid. Whether it was flannel shapes or reenactments with red and orange lights glowing in a bush, the story stuck with me, as did many of the stories found in the Old Testament. Here in Acts, Stephen is recounting the story of God to the religious leaders and high council. He was accused of blasphemy and deceit. The recorded response of Stephen doesn’t begin with a defense of himself or his leadership skills in the rapidly growing early church. Instead, he begins with the story of God at work through ordinary people- the stories he likely heard from his parents as a child.
As Stephen recounts the history of his people, he doesn’t sugarcoat their responses to God. He tells about their selfishness and lack of faith. He recounts their mistakes and their misjudgments. Stephen knows that God’s people are far from perfect. Stephen also knows that God is always at work amid the messiness. Stephen recounts how God interrupted Moses’ daily routine with the herd to remind him that God heard the cries of the people and has come to help them. I can imagine Moses sighing a big sigh mixed with relief and gratitude. Finally God was going to save the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt! God was indeed planning a rescue but not in any way that Moses could have imagined. Instead of sending armies and power, God tells stuttering, old Moses to get ready to go back to the people who had already rejected him. God gave Moses the invitation to join in God’s work to lead the people out of slavery. God does not always work in the ways we expect.
Stephen’s speech changes direction around verse 51 as he points out how the religious leaders were again missing the ways that God works when it doesn’t match their expectations. Instead of becoming reflective and listening to the warning from Stephen, they became angry to the point of giving history its first Christian martyr. How different would the story be if they had ears to hear the warning Stephen was giving to them!
Lent is a season that provides an opportunity to reflect on the ways that we expect to see God at work and determine how they align with the ways that we notice God at work around us. If we are wise, we pause from our everyday work to notice the unusual prompting from God. It is in those moments that God reminds us that the groans and cries of the people have been heard by our Creator and that God continues to move towards the people because of the great love God has for each and all of us. It is in these moments of noticing and remembering that we can hear the invitation God has for each of us to participate in this work.
When God told Moses, “Get yourself ready,” it was an invitation to do the same interior work that the religious leaders listening to Stephen should have done. It’s the same invitation we hear during Lent- to get ourselves ready for the work that God is going to invite us to join.
Respond
Take some time to reflect on your life. When do you feel close to God? When do you feel far from God? What preparations might you need to do to be ready for the invitation to participate in God’s work of resurrection? Do you need more rest? Do you need more solitude? Do you need more community? Do you need to connect with a Spiritual Director or pastor? What do you need to get yourself ready for Easter?
Rest
God, help us to notice when we are standing in a holy place. Remind us to pause and be present with you. Remind us that you hear our cries for ourselves, our neighbors and our world. Thank you for coming to our aid. Show us what needs to change in our lives so that we can be ready. Help us to be ready for whatever you are sending us to do in this world. May we be willing to step into places where we are powerless so that others might know of your salvation.
About the Author
Mary Peterson lives right outside of Beaumont, Texas, with her husband, two teenagers and two cats. She is passionate about the beach, drinking coffee and traveling. Mary serves as Senior Pastor of a precious church called Providence Church and is completing her Doctorate of Ministry at Fuller Seminary.
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