A Waking Dream? Awaking Dream!
Acts 10: 1-17, 34-35

Rev. Melissa St. Clair, preaching

In Acts 10, Peter dreams of a delectable spread of foods he couldn't eat. Once fully awake, he hears the call to visit a man he believed his religious tradition dictated he should disdain. But encouraged by the dream he accepted Cornelius' invitation to preach and welcomed him as a sibling in the spirit. (To that end — thank you for the invitation to preach here this weekend!}

We witness God pushing Peter from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance, Scarcity had narrowed Peter's vision. Fear and suspicion made him limit his sense of who could belong. God gave Peter a dream of abundance, God pointed out abundance where Peter saw scarcity — "All these are good too."

We often portray generosity as the opposite of selfishness. While that's true, in Peter's story, we can also see generosity as the opposite of enmity, Peter's openness to Cornelius speaks to an openness of heart, a commitment to building an expansive community that underlies all the many forms generosity can take in our lives.

How do we limit our thinking about who God is and who is part of God's realm? How has your faith in the God of Jesus Christ expanded your perspective or changed your mind? In what ways do you experience God's abundant generosity through this community of faith? How might God move through our dreams to push us toward more extraordinary generosity?

Based on Acts 10: 1-17, 34-35

 Music this week:

• Dream Small

• Here I Am to Worship

• Build My Life

• Give Thanks

• Help Us Accept Each Other

• Here I Am, Lord