The passage of Scripture you just heard is the one of the scariest texts I have read.  You need to know that I have a high view of scripture and attempt to shape my life my its teachings.  When I was younger I memorized scripture and could quote you a verse for almost any problem or question you had.  I remind you – that was when I was young!  I have slept a time or two since then.  But scripture has and still possesses a formative function in my life.  So why is this passage scary?  Let me explain:

     Its not because Peter was called on the carpet when he got to Jerusalem.  I have been asked to explain or defend my ideas and actions before.  My Christianity has been questioned and my loyalty to a denomination has been challenged.  In arriving in Jerusalem, Peter had to give account of his actions – why was he eating with people he shouldn’t be associating with?  Was he aware of what that might say to the “true believers”?  Isn’t it amazing that criticism is not just a product of our day?  It goes all the way back to the very early days of the church.  Communication and differences have been with us for evvvver!   We don’t have a corner on that market.  So no, what is scary about this passage is not that there was criticism or conflict.  Neither is it scary because it is a passage that is so difficult and technical that only a few bright people can understand it.  There are some passages that challenge me and I have to admit that I avoid some of those.  But this is not one of them.

      Peter clearly spells out step by step the essence of this text.  He does so my recounting his experience.  I was in the city of Joppa, praying, and in a trance I saw a vision.  Have I lost half of you already?  Talking of trances and visions is not the way to sound reasonable thinking.  This is the seat of kooky ideas and weird behaviors.  But I warned you that I do take scripture seriously, so lets move on.  Peter explains that in his vision he saw something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me.  As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air.  All of these animals coming so close to him must have been alarming for Leviticus 11 tells us that even to touch these animals would result in his being unclean.  But Peter goes on: I also heard a voice saying to me, Get up Peter, kill and eat.  What a shock that must have been to him.  This was not a vision, it was a nightmare!  He knew his scriptures, and he knew how God had explicitly forbidden any such thing!  So he responds in a very predictable manner – NO WAY LORD!  I’d never do anything like that! I’ve never let anything make me unclean! 

    But then he hears a voice: What God has made clean, you must not call profane.  Then he goes on to explain how he was summoned to Cornelius’ house and he preached the gospel to this gentile and the Holy Spirit actually fell upon him just as it had on the day of Pentecost.  When this happened he said: who was I that I could hinder God?  Peter’s subsequent acceptance  and baptism of Cornelius into the people of God becomes a watershed event for the direction of the church.

    What makes this passage a scary one for me is that Peter becomes a radical activist.  He sets a whole new direction for the church.  While in one sense it is a great comfort to me, because of his contribution I now am included in the People of God, since I am a gentile.  I am indebted to Cornelius and Peter for breaking the ice, paving the way for a more inclusive church. 

     But what really scares me is the foundation upon which this change occurred. There was no careful study committee.  No decision by the Session.  There was no consultation with anyone else.  This radical turn in the People of God occurred on the basis of a trance, a message from the Spirit, and the action of a lone disciple.  It would have been much easier to have read that following this trance Peter met with the twelve.  They formed a study committee and researched the historical precedents for such an action and reinterpreted their long held teachings in the light of new discoveries and new understandings of gentiles.  But that wasn’t how it happened.

Peter acted contrary to the teachings of scripture that had been held for centuries based solely on a trance or vision, and on his belief that the Spirit was leading him to this action!  Now for someone who has a high view of scripture can you see why this is one of the scariest passages in the New Testament for me?  Is it no wonder that there was criticism; that he was asked to give account of his actions?  Who of us has the courage to act in such a way based solely on a vision and the instructions of Holy Spirit?   Who of us really wants to identify himself/herself as being a mystic like Peter? 

     This radical departure from tradition opens the door to all kinds of chaos.  Everyone can claim that her pet project or his new idea is the product of Spirit and therefore should be accepted.  In fact don’t we have that happening today with differing sides of issues claiming they are simply following Spirit.  I am right because I trust Spirit, sorry about you!  So how do we get out of the mess?

     A closer look at this passage reveals that the ideas and actions did NOT originate with Peter.  In fact, he resisted the message of the trance three times.  Yet when three visitors came asking for him, he was open to hearing their message – that a gentile needed him.  He was open to God being at work in his world.  He was open to God wanting to communicate to him and that God was about creating all things new (as seen in Rev. 21, another text for today.)   Yes,  God   is   the  prime  mover  here.  God was at  work  in  Cornelius  who  was  in prayer when an angel came to him and instructed him to send for Peter, who himself was in prayer.  God was at work in Peter enabling him to see a new vision of the people of God.  This was not a natural evolution, but a radical new idea.  Spirit came in Peter.  Spirit fell upon Cornelius and all those with him.  And Spirit worked in those in Jerusalem so that when they heard of Spirit’s working they were silenced. 

      I am convinced that today we are so busy trying to figure out the legal and or political ways to accomplish what we believe is Spirit’s desires for her church that we find it hard to be silenced. 

     We can only be silenced when we recognize the work of Spirit among us.  Don’t get me wrong.  This is not a call for inactivity.  Can we keep a balance between faith and work, between our intuition and our intellect?  As we are about the work of God; are we focussed enough on God to recognize God’s work when we see it?  Do we have the humility to own that Spirit will accomplish what we may never achieve?  Peter was available to Spirit as he was spending time in prayer.  We need to be careful about our prayer life because God might just raise up a mystic activist among us.  Do we dare pray: Spirit of the living God Fall afresh on me…melt me, mold me, fill me use me.  Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me. 

     Such a prayer is scary, it may be answered.  Scary scripture, scary Spirit, scary prayer yet full  of   hope  and promise.  God answered Corneilius’ prayer - she/he can answer ours.