"Paul's Second Missionary Journey"

Pastor Laura Guy

October 26, 2008

Here's an instant replay of what happened in worship:

We reviewed the map of Paul's first missionary journey, remembering his difficult trip that covered 1500 miles and took two years. Paul must have been exhausted after that trip, yet only a year later, he set out again - on his second missionary journey.
We saw how this second journey covered 2800 miles and took three years to complete. Many of the towns where Paul started churches on this trip became the recipients of Paul's Epistles, the letters he wrote that became many of the New Testament books.
We heard how Paul and Silas went to Philippi and were wrongly imprisoned. They were beaten and placed in jail. But in Acts 16:25-34 we read how Paul and Silas were singing praise songs to God at midnight, when an earthquake opened the doors to the cells and released them from their chains. The jailer thought he would die because the inmates had escaped, but Paul assured him that everyone was still there. As a result, the jailer invited Paul and Silas to his home, where they shared the news about Jesus. The jailer and his whole family came to believe in Jesus, and they were baptized.
We wondered how Paul and Silas could sing praise songs when they were so badly hurt and afraid. When we sing praise songs to God, we are reaching up to Him, we are singing to Someone. By singing about the love, mercy and power of God, we remember Who He is, and even in our darkness we can touch the Light.
We prayed that God would help us reach up with our praises, even when we are in darkness.
We sang a praise song of our own to God.
We shared communion together, remembering that the elements themselves - bread and wine - are things that human hands make. God calls us to work with Him, even in the important sacrament of communion.