Twelve of them, whom he called ‘apostles’: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother
Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James son of
Alpheus and Simon called the Zealot; Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who
would be the traitor.
Reflect
In his Letter to the Ephesians, Paul describes the Church as the household of God. We
are all looking for a place to call home, a place where we belong and where we know that
we are loved. But how do we welcome people into our churches so that they feel this sense
of love and belonging? If you talk to people who have left the Church, they often mention
some incident or moment of hurt that made them feel as though they were no longer
welcome. Perhaps someone took offense at the way they were dressed or at a small child’s
behavior or crying. After weeks of angry looks and muttered insults, they stopped coming.
Or perhaps a person feels as though his sins are too great or her life is too messy to be
welcomed. Do our churches offer to accompany people in their times of struggle? Do we
show that our churches are not a museum of the perfect but a hospital for sinners?
Our household is incomplete unless all of its members are welcome.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023