Acts 17:1-9; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 - April 21, 2024

Peter. Paul. Mary. Matthew. John. David. Noah. Even Melchizedek, for crying out loud! 

But now… now, we Jasons finally have our day! This may not be a big deal for you Josephs or Marthas, but for a Jason, having your name in the Bible is a pretty big deal. 

We Jasons are often only associated with the Argonauts or Friday the 13th movies, but now we are a character in God’s story. It’s a bit of a shame that our big scene is about being dragged out of the house by some ruffians and paying a fine, but oh well. At least we made an appearance. 

But, this sermon isn’t going to be about me. That probably wouldn’t be worth your time. There is, of course, more to a sermon than my story. A sermon takes your story and my story and helps us find its place in God’s story. 

And today, we get a chance to hear those stories a little differently than we normally do. From Acts of the Apostles, we get some history. We get to hear the context around what the founding of the church in Thessalonica looks like. Then, in our second lesson, we get to hear how Paul speaks to this particular church, providing praise and affirmations in his first letter to the Thessalonians. 

Now, the story we get today from Acts is representative of many other stories about Paul spreading the Good News. The pattern goes something like this: Paul enters a new city; he preaches in the synagogue first and then to others; some accept the Gospel he offers, while others reject it and even persecute Paul and his followers; then Paul moves on to the next city. Rinse and repeat. 

When it comes to Paul in this story, the nonacceptance, the complaint, and the reason why others reject him is interesting. The complaint of the Jewish leaders and the ruffians who dragged Jason and some others before the city authorities is that “These people have been turning the world upside down.” 

Paul and Silas, the Church - Christians! - have been turning the world upside down. Part of this upside-down way is that they have another king named Jesus. Beyond that, the way the Church lived together stirred up complaints. While not directly listed here, the Church has acted in an upside-down way since the Spirit’s coming in Chapter 2. They told and lived a different story. 

The Church didn’t abide by societal norms, like the separation of Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female. It went against the class structure by saying the powerful will be brought down, the last will be first, and the greatest of all is the servant of all. It went against the economic systems of the day which consolidated wealth and possessions; instead the early Church “had all things in common” and would “sell their possessions and distribute the proceeds to all.” (2:44-45) They cared for widows and orphans and people from other countries; they broke bread with glad and generous hearts. 

The complaining happened because, at its best, the Church takes the world and turns it upside down. The Church says Caesar isn’t lord, Jesus is. Your worth isn’t based on what you have or buy; your worth is in Christ. There aren’t exclusive groups and then everyone else; all people are welcome, invited, part of God’s story. The world, of course, fights that turning. 

The world likes its hierarchy; the world wants you to feel like your worth comes from what you can purchase; the world wants to make lots of things your lord. The world likes which side is up and does not want the Church meddling in turning things upside down. 

But maybe I’m wrong here. (That’d be two weeks in a row.) Maybe the Chruch isn’t called to turn the world upside down… and I say that because in the death and resurrection of Christ, God has already turned everything upside down - or, maybe I should say, God has turned everything right-side-up because upside down to our world is God’s right-side-up. 

By giving a bunch of fallen, broken human beings undeserved love and grace, God turns the world right-side-up. By valuing mercy and forgiveness over just desserts, God turns the world right-side-up. By the crucified becoming resurrected, by death losing its sting, by promising us more than this world can give, God turns the world right-side-up. 

Jesus has been raised from the dead and so everything changes. God has changed the story. 

Now, as the Church, we live in this upside-down world, trying our best to see things God’s right-side up way, to live the right-side-up way of the early Church -
the mission of revolutionary inclusion that surpasses societal boundaries;
the ministry of sustainable life for all;
the belief that true greatness is found in serving others;
the realization that this world leads to nothing but death.
We preach and teach, we welcome and serve, we share and give, we be the Church and continue to turn this world right-side-up. Through welcome. Through giving of ourselves. Through showing up, being present, and offering comfort when someone else’s world is turned upside down. We are the ones God has called into this story. 

We are the characters in the story God is telling now. We are God’s Church now. It’s not just Peter and Paul, not just Jason and Melchizedek. 

It’s also Linda, Bruce, Kip, Mike, Barbara, Skip, Marilyn, Dave, Carole, Joe, June, Jim, Beth, Bill, Hank, Anne, Anna, Marianne, Gail, Ray, Inara, Brent, Bonnie, Odella, Jean, Arlene, Riley, Rick, Robin, Lucille, James, Sarah, Donna, Diane, Joan, AJ, Marty, Madge, Millie, Quint, Angie, Jim, Shauna, Patrick, Philip, Madilyn, and you (even if I didn’t say your name). We are the characters in the story God is telling now. 

We are all in the story because God has ensured we all have a part to play in turning the world right-side-up. Named children of God at baptism, we are sent to be the Church - not the best, not the greatest, not the most powerful, but be the Church. Be like Jesus. Be Christ to others.

And in all this storytelling, we go with Christ, because Christ is with us always. 

And with his help, we can turn this world right-side-up.