A calling, a life

After Acts 6:1-7

I am Greek, not Aramaic. 

I am not one of the originals

but came later, pulled by the news,

the Spirit, the miracles, tongues

of fire. The people choose me

one of the seven, and I do 

the only thing I knew to do:

distribute food, distribute alms,

care for needs, pray, share,

encourage. When the scattering

comes, I go, quickly, to Samaria,

still the city of half-faiths,

the city of magicians and fakers.

A smaller flock to serve, I do

what I’m called to do, what I can:

preach, speak, share, encourage.

Service there becomes conflict

and confrontation, confounding

the sorcerer who seeks to buy

what he thinks is magic. Sent 

to the desert road, I speak with

the Ethiopian seated in a chariot. 

And then I baptize. I’m learning,

being taught, growing, it’s on

to the Philistines and then

Caesarea, the city of Herod

and the Romans. There I live,

with my four daughters,

prophetesses. I preach, I speak,

I serve, I encourage, I pray. 

Photograph by Felicia Buitenwerf via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Only their names

After Acts 6:1-7

Seven appointed to serve,

the same reason for all:

seven men of good repute,

seven full of the spirit,

seven infused with wisdom,

seven who pleased the people

with service fair and impartial.

Two became famous; 

five did not. We have

their names, names implying

conversion from the Greek:

Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon,

Parmenas, Nicolas. Names

appear for a brief moment,

then submerge in the river

of time and history. While

we would hope (or flatter

ourselves) to be a Stephen 

of Philip, the truth is that

almost all of us will be

Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon,

Parmenas, Nicolas. A flash

of service, a bare mention,

but sufficient.

Photograph by Andre Ouellet via Unsplash, Used with permission.

Two become famous

After Acts 6:1-7

They are chosen almost

by acclamation, their character

and behavior known and

admired. Reputation is

the decisive factor, the men

chosen to serve the body,

officers of daily distribution

to the needy, chosen to calm

a complaint of partiality. 

Seven chosen, seven names 

noted, seven names remembered 

through all time. Seven chosen,

two explained – one a martyr,

one an evangelist. One dies

for speaking truth. The other

flees to Samaria, confronts

a sorcerer, teaches an Ethiopian,

preaches in Philistia and Caesarea,

One named Stephen.

One named Philip.

Photograph by Will Kell via Unsplash. Used with permission.

The deacon's song

After Acts 6:1-7

A duty born of a complaint

a complaint born of a practice

or non-practice, some ignored,

some disregarded for not having

the right credentials.

Created to serve, to serve

basic needs, to feed, born

to demonstrate a caring heart,

to meet the needs of the vulnerable,

to become the feet and hands

of the good news.

The seven sang:

We are the good news.

We are the gospel.