Amazing Race Week 1: Acts 9

“The Amazing Race - Paul’s Conversion”

            Over the past decade or so, reality TV has really taken over.  Survivor, Big Brother, Real Housewives, the biggest Looser or the more talent focused shows such as  Dancing with the Stars and The Voice.   I, personally, am not a big fan, although I do watch a few minutes from here to there.  The biggest reason I do not like reality TV is because of how mean people can be to one another.  I guess this plays out more on shows like Survivor and Big Brother than on some of the others.  But people are in it to win, and so they form alliances and then break with the alliance and they stab one another in the back.  They are manipulative and do whatever it takes to get ahead in the game.  For, for all of these shows, it all boils down to winning the competition. 

            Now, a few years ago, I had the craziest dream.  I was on the Amazing Race.  Which is really weird because I had not ever even watched the show all the way through.  Maybe a few minutes here or there, but never an entire episode.  When I woke up in the morning, I thought to myself, here is an idea for a sermon series.  The Amazing Race - Paul’s journey.  If you think about it, Paul well that is Saul, has all the makings for a great TV reality show.  He is a religious fanatic.  He persecutes people.  He has power and influence.  He’s a real great guy.  He embodies drama and that’s what people want, right?  Some really good drama.  He would probably do really well on Survivor, but we are going to put him on the Amazing Race, because after his conversion experience, this man travels. 

            Here’s just a little bit of background information on the Amazing Race according to Wikipedia:  The Amazing Race is going into its 30^th season.   Season 14 lasted for 22 days and the partipants traveled over 40,000 miles. The teams raced in nine countries, including Romania , India, People's Republic of China and Russia , with the finish line in Maui, Hawaii.  The teams took a 13-hour train ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway, and got into a Siberian snowstorm with below-zero temperatures.   The teams suffered extreme climates, intense Roadblocks and less time in airports, which added up to an exhausting course for the racers. In addition, CBS revealed the Race included the world's second tallest bungee jump, suffocating heat in India, and an Olympic-themed challenge that left the teams "gasping for air."

            Well, according to one source, Paul traveled over 10,000 miles by foot and boat.   He didn’t do all this in just 22 days, but in those days, he covered a lot of ground.  On Paul’s first journey he traveled from Antioch though the Mediterranean Sea to Cyprus then on to Pamphylia, visiting at least nine cities in various regions.  On his second journey he traveled from Jerusalem up to Antioch across the region to Greece visiting Philippi, Thessalonica, and Ephesus.  On his third Journey He traveled out of Jerusalem up through Asia minor to Greece and on over to Italy ending in Rome.  Through his Amazing Race he was imprisoned, stoned and left for dead, and believed to be a god. 

            But before we can get to his Amazing Race, we must begin with the beginning.  The first we hear of Saul is in the book of Acts chapter 7, at the death of Stephen.  According to William Willimon, “Saul is introduced as a violent, active, resourceful persecutor of the young community.”  According to Acts, Saul is from Tarsas, is a devout Jew, and a Pharisee.  The Pharisees emphasized laws of purity, they ritualistically cleansed.  They excluded unclean people.  They tithed, kept the Sabbath, and fasted.  Unlike the Sadducees, the Pharisees did believe in the concept of the resurrection of the righteous.  He saw this movement of people following the teachings of Jesus as people breaking from the Jewish faith.  His response, to keep the faith pure, was to persecute those that defiled it.  He loves God and wants to stop others from defiling the true worship of our Creator. 

            As the persecution of the early followers of Jesus grew, many fled Jerusalem to other areas.  Saul, takes it upon himself, to follow those who have fled and bring them back to Jerusalem for trial.  And so his adventure begins.  He sets off from Jerusalem to Damascus, but before he arrives to his destination he is struck down and blinded.  A voice calls out, naming him, and him alone.  There are others with him, others that are participating in the persecution, but this conversion experience is for Saul and Saul alone.  This greatly differs from the mass conversions that have been happening in the book of Acts since the day of Pentecost.  Thousands have been coming to know Jesus through the out pouring of the Holy Spirit, but here it is specifically directed to Saul. 

            What I find the most interesting about Saul’s conversion experience is how others react to it.  This is their enemy.  This is the man that witnessed the death of their dear friend Stephen.  How are they to trust him?  How are they to accept him?  And how are they to give him leadership with in the community?  Saul did not just appoint himself a follower of Christ.  Ananias plays a significant role in affirming God’s call to Saul.  Ananias also receives a vision and is sent to the house where Saul is staying.  And even though he is having a vision, Ananias questions what he is to do.  Sound familiar?  So often, those called by God and question if this is really the right action to take.  So Ananias goes.  And when he arrives and speaks to Saul, Saul’s eye sight returns. 

            The Presbyterian Church follows a very similar pattern to this passage in Acts about the call process.  Jesus reaches out to Saul but also to Ananias.  There is a second party involved with this process.  There is someone else that can attest that yes, indeed, Saul has been called by God to be a part of this amazing experience of following Christ.  In the Presbyterian Church, we don’t question people’s conversion stories.  We welcome people as members of the church.  But, in bringing people into leadership, we have a process.  The nomination committee is suppose to spend time in discernment of who within the congregation has the gifts to lead the church forward at this particular moment in time, and then the congregation elects those that are nominated.  The same holds true for pastors.  As we feel called to enter seminary, we must spend time with the Committee on Preparation for Ministry.  This is a group of elders and pastors that discern whether someone is truly called to ministry and if that person is equipped with gifts for such a task.  Then the Presbytery affirms that call.  We just don’t appoint ourselves pastors, elders, or deacons. 

            Saul does great things in Damascus and Acts tells us that the Jews there plotted to kill him.  Saul then flees back to Jerusalem.  The disciples there were afraid of him and they did not believe he was a disciple.  And again, it takes the affirmation of another, this time Barnabas, to convince the disciples that Saul was no longer the enemy.   The strength of the way this early community works is that at first, they let the way of the world impact their spiritual call to leadership.  They are afraid.  But through trust and allowing their spiritual selves govern, they open themselves up to risk and practice hospitality to Saul. 

            Hospitality is a missional practice of the church today.  As we seek to be a welcoming place, we must also learn what is happening out in the world.  Who is it that we want to welcome?  And how is it that we can connect?  We say we want to welcome all.  Have we been out to understand how it is that children, youth, young adults and young families process information in the world of today?  Do we understand what is important to them, priorities, purpose and passion.  I, personally, find it interesting that after forty years, the church is still complaining about Sunday sports.  I played sports on Sunday when I was a child, this is not a new phenomena, we just have not adapted or responded, or tried to do anything different.  And then we lament the loss of our children and families. 

            Hospitality involves thinking about what time works f or families in today’s world, what means of communication works for families, what message do they need to hear of God’s love for them?  In the missional practice of hospitality, we need to go out and learn what it means to be a good guest. We need to get ourselves out of Jerusalem.  We need to join Paul on this Amazing Race.  We need to focus on the spiritual call that God has given this place and we need to bring it out into the world. 

            God’s mercy is greater than our human understanding and God’s plan will unfold using even the most unlikely people.  As Saul becomes Paul his life is transformed and he becomes not only an evangelist for Jesus but he the letters he writes to the congregations throughout the region have become sacred texts for us.  For God can take the most negative action and bring a positive response into being.  Let us celebrate with joy that Paul has was called by God and embarks on this Amazing Race.   Amen.