Peter's Shadow

Good morning,

This week we have another edition of our much-beloved and long-running series “Pastor Scott has too much sermon.”

After writing the account of Ananias and Sapphira at the beginning of Acts 5 Luke transitions to another “progress report” for the early church in Acts 5:12-16.  He notes that at this stage of the church’s life the apostles were regularly performing “signs and wonders” among the people to draw them into conversations about Jesus.

I’ve mentioned before that, Biblically speaking, signs and wonders (while certainly connected) are actually two separate categories of events.  Signs are events that normally occur in nature but because of their timing or magnitude are evidence of divine intervention.  So the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira could be considered signs. Death is a natural process, but the timing of their deaths was clearly God’s judgement on them.

Wonders, on the other hand, are events that are supernatural…they don’t occur normally in nature.  The healing of the lame beggar in Acts 3 fits this category.  People who can’t walk for 40 years don’t all of a sudden have strong and fully functional legs.

The main “wonder” that the apostles were performing appears to be healings.  Luke writes in verse 15 that the word of the healings spread and:

As a result, people brought their sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on them as he passed by.

What’s up with that?  Well, there was this ancient belief (still held by some Far Eastern cultures today) that a person’s shadow was an extension of their personality and power.  Since God was giving Peter the power to heal, the people thought that power extended to his shadow.

We must note a few things about this verse.  First, this passage never says that anyone was actually healed by being in Peter’s shadow.  Second, the passage doesn’t ever say that the apostles ever commanded people to line the streets or encourage such beliefs. Third (and perhaps most important), Luke tells us in verse 16 that all who came to the apostles were healed, regardless of whether or not they had Peter’s shadow fall on them.  Those healings happened not by chance or by being in the right place but in direct response to the apostles’ prayer found in Acts 4:30:

Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

It is important for us to remember that God’s power to heal us (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) is never dependent on us being at the right place at the right time and under the exact right conditions.  We trust in His power to heal us according to His will, and rest in the secure knowledge that one day all who have trusted in Jesus will experience ultimate healing.

Here’s what’s happening:

1.      SATURDAY  11/1 – Harvest Party at the church starting at 6 pm.  A light dinner will be served and then we’ll have a number of activities for folks to enjoy…the giant slide, a hayride, a campfire and the world-famous kid’s dessert bake off.  As of now the forecast looks good!

2.     Saturday, 11/8 – Youth Group Bonfire night at the Somerfield home from 4-7 pm.  There will be an apple cider making station!  Youth should bring a container to take some cider home with them.

3.     Saturday, 11/8 – Solanco Neighborhood Ministries is hosting an “Empty Bowls” fundraiser to raise funds for the food bank at Mechanic Grove Church of the Brethren.  This is a drop-in event from 4 pm to 8 pm.  Folks will receive a meal to share around a table, learn more about the needs of the community and take a handcrafted ceramic bowl home as a gift for attending.  This is a ticketed event.  To purchase tickets head to solanconeighborhoodminstries.org.

4.     11.9 – Double Nickels Luncheon

5.     11/13 – Youth Group meets at 6:30 pm in the schoolhouse.

6.     11/13 – Ladies Quilt Knotting at 6:30 pm in the church lobby.

7.      11/23 – Thanksgiving Fellowship Meal.  There is a sign-up sheet in the lobby to bring food for the meal.

8.     11/23 – Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes are due back at the church (more information coming on Sunday).

9.     If you are interested in being a part of a small group in 2026, please talk to me soon.

10.  As I mentioned on Sunday, we are opening up another online store for people to purchase ABCF tshirts, sweatshirts, ballcaps, and tumbler mugs.  You can check them out here: https://www.customink.com/fundraising/andrews-bridge-christian-fellowship-apparel-sale.

Couple of notes – The hats and mugs have a separate check out because the printing process is different.  All purchases get delivered to Kay Reyburn and she’ll bring them to the church.

This is technically a fundraiser…that’s how we have to set it up.  Any proceeds will go to the building fund.

We do have minimums that we have to reach for the order to go through.  If we don’t reach the minimums the money gets refunded.

See me or Kay Reyburn with any questions.  Orders are accepted for the next two weeks.  Items will be delivered in early December.

This Sunday we will be studying the apostles’ arrest and trial before the Sanhedrin found in Acts 5:17-42.  They receive support from a very unlikely source, a Pharisee named Gamaliel.  This week’s message will be very evangelistic.  If you know of someone who has been “sitting on the fence” about Jesus, this week would be a great one to invite them to join you at the Bridge!

We turn the clocks back an hour on Saturday night…enjoy the extra sleep!

Scott