May 14, 2023 "The Divine Disruptions That Shape Us"

ReNew Ames Messages

Peter gets a vision that disrupts his reality. Then he gets an invitation to go to Cornelius's house. He suddenly gets the meaning of the vision. God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. He understands that God wants to include the whole world - not just Jews. Divine disruption - it challenges current ways of seeing the world and understanding God and how to follow God. God invites Peter into more freedom, more inclusion, and more complexity. It's hard at first - he even resists God on the basis of his current understanding of God. But eventually he gets it. More freedom, inclusion, and complexity. This story shouldn't surprise us. At least not if we've read the stories about Jesus in the Bible. Jesus was the ultimate divine disrupter - constantly challenging purity laws. In fact, he replaces the law of purity with the law of love and inclusion. Growth isn't instantaneous. Most of us will need multiple divine disruptions before we take a step. That's how growth and maturity works. So don't be afraid of the disruptions. Pay attention to them. Embrace them. They'll lead us into a greater understanding of the divine and how the world is intended to work. Speaker: Aaron Vis Scripture: Acts 10:1-48 https://www.bible.com/events/49078011