Tuesday, October 2: Acts 3 - Turn it to Jesus.

I have always loved music in church when the leader –organist, pianist, guitar…- transitions from one song to another. The chord transitions have always fascinated me and tickled, so to speak, my ear.

I was fascinated in this story how Peter transitioned from the miracle to Jesus. When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see (12-16).

Like the musical transitions in worship, the beginning and ending chords are set. Peter seizes the opportunity of the miracle to tell people about Jesus. This takes him only a moment… 43 words to mention Jesus and another 54 words to get to his destination that Jesus is the source of the miracle. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see

I thought back to those musical transitions. Most of the transitions are improvisations, small part planning and a large part practice and ear The musician just knows how to move between chords… all it takes is a starting point and a destination.

For Peter the conversational destination is sharing Jesus and the starting point is his present conversation or life situation. Peter did it on Pentecost morning and he did it again here.

Oh God, I am not a good conversationalist. Please help me gain the chops to transition my life situations and conversations to Jesus in natural and real and flowing ways. This I pray through Jesus. Amen.