Down by the River (or in a Park)

And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. Acts 16:13

I LOVE this account. On the Sabbath, the men did not go to church or the temple, but out of the city and down to the riverside. Where, as God would have it, they happened upon women who were meeting in a spot where prayer usually occured. The men sat down and interacted with the women, joining them where they were and guiding them further along the path of search for Truth. Down by the river, men and women discussing Scripture and recent happenings in the region.

No bells, whistles, or trappings. The choir was absent, the temple walls gone, the music and musicians silent. No Sunday school, coffee fellowship, clocks, power points, hymnals, air conditioning, cushy pews, or sound systems. Just the Gospel and interested people. Small groups discussing real heart matters. Simply Jesus. Nothing else.



Relationships. Common interests. Discussion. Seeking. Contemplation. Prayer. And the Word of Jesus was heard and glorified.

Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." So she persuaded us. Acts 16:14-15

Did she meet only near the river outside of the city? No. She opened her home and welcomed others in. Something big happened in Lydia's life that day. She went from a small group to the Church - as in THE Church, made up of all believers throughout time. I would love to follow her life to see what else Lydia, a woman of influence and wealth (purple dye very costly to harvest and make, and cloth dyed purple was reserved for royalty and the rich), did the rest of her life after that meeting outside the city.

But it all began very simply. By the river. When God opened her heart.

Small start. Keep it simple.