Acts 9:36-43 Now in Joppa There Was a Disciple Whose Name Was Tabitha, Which in Greek Is Dorcas. She Was Devoted to Good Works and Acts of Charity

Acts 9:36-43 Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner. ______

This week we will explore more deeply the text from Acts 9: 36-43. You will be invited to read the passage each day before exploring the daily devotions.

Monday: Read the scripture through once and then once again more slowly. Imagine being in the room, mourning Tabitha’s death when Peter arrives. What hopes would you have? What expectations? Imagine walking back into the room and seeing Tabitha alive. How would you respond? Why do you think Tabitha was so beloved by her community? Are there any aspects of your own life that once were “dead” but have been brought back to life or healed? Prayer: God, continue to show your healing and resurrecting power through people of faith. Amen.

Tuesday: Luke’s telling of the birth and rise of the early church in his letter that we call Acts is full of men and women who seem larger than life. Their stories are astounding. We learn of dramatic conversions, shipwrecks, narrow escapes, healings, sermons that convert thousands of people at a time, and that’s just skimming the surface. Even here, in our text today, Peter prays and calls a dead woman to wake and she does. Resurrection! As a result, we often make heroes out of these men like Peter, giving them our full attention, and all the while missing something else that is just important. Women like Tabitha. Who are the Tabitha’s in your life? In our church? What could you do to thank and encourage them? Prayer: Lord, thank you for choosing to reveal your generosity through all the Tabithas of the world. Amen.

Wednesday: We don’t know a lot about Tabitha, but what we do know is telling. Luke tells us she was a disciple. She was a follower of Christ. And don’t miss this because these are strong words. Luke is making it clear. Tabitha was every bit a follower of Christ as Peter was, or Paul was, or anyone else was. Her status as a woman or her small role in the big story of Acts does not diminish her status in the kingdom of God. The passage says “there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas.” We need to pay close attention to this word “disciple.” As Christians, we have become familiar with this word. It means, literally, “learner,” namely those who learn from Jesus and seek to follow in the way of Jesus. It means one who is seeking to grow in the ways of faith and life, trusting God and serving God. This is what Jesus calls us to be about. Jesus calls and nurtures “disciples.” We are ALL called to be disciples. Disciples are devoted to good works and acts of charity. How are you seeking to follow in the way of Jesus? How can you, like Dorcas, contribute to the healing and hope of the world? Prayer: Lord, may I continue to grow in my discipleship, learning to live closer to your way. Amen.

Thursday: As a disciple, Tabitha was known as a woman who was always doing good and helping the poor. She was a generous woman. A steward of God’s love and abundance. You cannot read the Acts of the Apostles and escape the reality that this was a hallmark not only of the early church but of the individuals who make up the church. Caring for the widows, the orphans, and the poor is just what they did. Sharing resources to ensure that no one was left without was what they did. Followers of Christ would generously share everything that they had to make sure that everyone was cared for and protected. Christians are called to be good stewards. What are some specific needs in your community? In addition to providing money, in what ways is your church equipped to meet those needs? What is your participation of time, treasure and talent in your church’s witness? Prayer: Strengthen me to model the radical abundance of God in my stewardship. Amen.

Friday: As Peter arrives from Lydda, he is led into the room where Tabitha had been laid. The group of widows that were there mourning immediately start showing him all of the robes and other clothing that Tabitha had made before she died. How did Tabitha do good and help the poor? She made clothes for them! That was her gift. It was her skill. And she used it to care for others and show them the loving abundance of her God. For every Peter and every Paul, the church is filled with thousands of Tabithas. Men and women who are using their gifts, big and small, to bring hope and love into the lives of those around them. What “ordinary” gift do you have that could be used to do good and help others? Have you ever considered that you are a Tabitha – a person who God is using to meet the needs in the world? Thank you for using your gifts in the glory of God! Prayer: Lord, continue to reveal to me new ways of using my gifts to help others in your name. Amen.

Saturday: Stewardship is one of the defining hallmarks of the church. It is one of those things that makes us different and set apart from the rest of the world. In other words, faithful stewardship makes us holy and it is the calling of every member of God’s family. Our combined stewardship is what makes the work of the church possible. It is with great thanksgiving to God that we, like Tabitha, devote ourselves to good works and acts of charity. For all we have comes from God who alone has the power to offer us new life. Our expressions of generosity and our work in the church are a natural extension of our gratitude for the saving acts of Christ. If you have already made your pledge to the ministry of MCC for 2020, thank you! If you have not yet done so, you are invited to make a pledge by going to www.mccdoc.org/give and fill out the online pledge card. Together, all of our gifts have the power to continue the ministry of Christ right here in our community and around the world. Prayer: God, as we move, as we serve, as we give, may all that we do be done for the sake and the glory of your holy name. Amen.