GROWING THE CHURCH
(Acts 16:16-34)
They drove out demons,
thwarting exploitative gain:
Paul and Silas, jailed!
But wait, there’s (much) more:
praying, singing, an earthquake,
family baptism!
Early church legends,
significant in its growth,
raise questions for us.
Who is saved and how?
What does it mean to be ‘saved’?
From what, or for what?
Baptism now requires:
learn, practice the Christian life;
the church council’s ‘Yes’.
Once plainly stated,
“Believe and you will be saved.”
Why complicate this?
It’s not so simple
but it might not have to be
so complicated.
Jeff Shrowder, 2025
More for Easter 7C