Sunday, August 30, 2026

Acts 2:37-47

Peter’s words to the crowd wondering what to do are to repent and be baptized. To repent, to turn back towards God, and to experience the gift of God’s spirit in baptism. And what follows is the formation of a Christian community that devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to helping those in need.

It’s often deeply personal; intimate experiences of faith or God that turn us back towards the Christian community and life. In the way that repentance and baptism are both a personal experience and yet are a work and promise done for us by God in the context of Christian community. We come to learn and experience that faith is not simply personal but communal and shared with us.

I can think of the ways and stories I’ve personally seen this at places throughout Southwood lately:

• Hearing the moments of impact and change from friends and Southwood members who traveled to Tanzania, Honduras, and New Mexico this summer
• The care members provide for each other because they themselves have been through “it” too
• The sense or moments of call and clarify that bring people to give of themselves to something bigger

For the early Christian church seen in Acts, they gathered to learn, worship, eat, pray, and care for one another. They share what they have so that no one is left in need. Their faith was a shared experience, often seen and expressed in community and informing how they lived together.

And this is the challenge and call for us today.

Because we have heard and experienced God’s grace, we are sent out into this world anew.

• In our work and communities
• In our habits and practices
• In how we serve and give

And may we know the promise, grace, and good news that God has for us all.

*A special note: If you haven’t heard or talked to someone who went on a summer mission trip with Southwood, I highly recommend it. Their witness to the depth of these experiences is a gift.

Questions for Reflection:

• Who has helped you experience faith as something shared rather than something you do alone?
• Where might God be inviting you to share more freely—your time, your gifts, or your attention?

Prayer:

God of Grace, 
We give thanks for community, experiences, and people that shape us. May we turn back towards you and the gift of community in our lives. 
Amen.

RepentanceBaptism