Today, I must confess: I totally zoned out during the sermon. Not in a rebellious, “I refuse to listen” way—just in a “my brain hit the snooze button” way. I had my notebook ready, pen in hand, fully prepared to absorb the wisdom from Acts 8:1-8. But somewhere between the opening and whatever came next, my brain floated off like a helium balloon in a gentle breeze.
Now, before you judge me too harshly, I was engaged during the music and communion. The worship songs hit just right, and communion always brings me back to center. But the sermon? I’m gonna be honest—I think my mind preemptively hit “skip intro” on this new section of the series covering Acts 8-12. I caught that much: we’re shifting gears into new territory. My brain just wasn’t ready to drive yet.
That being said, I’ll give Acts 8:1-8 another read. From what I do know, it marks a big turning point—the early church facing intense persecution, believers scattering, and Philip heading to Samaria, where the gospel starts spreading like wildfire. The irony isn’t lost on me: the passage is about movement, action, and expansion, while I was spiritually parked in neutral.
After church, we went to a lunch at the church (where my brain was fully engaged, thank you very much), followed by a beautiful sacred music concert. Soloists, pianists, singers, strings, and woodwinds all came together in this moving, intricate performance—each part essential to the whole. Kind of like Acts 8 itself, really. The church spreads, each believer playing their part, carrying the gospel forward. Even if I missed some of the message this morning, I still experienced it in the music, in communion, and in the gathered body of believers.
So, lesson learned: next week, I’ll try to keep my brain fully present. Until then, I’ll be revisiting Acts 8:1-8 and hoping for a little less Sunday morning brain fog.