Faithful and Good [Easter 7B - Acts 1:15-17, 21-26]
The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 Faithful and Good St. Paul’s, Albany Everything changed with the cast of a lot. It was such a small thing that made such a big difference. And it could have gone either way – there were two qualified candidates – but the lot fell on Matthias. And so, when the lot settled, Matthias became the twelfth disciple, the replacement, the one who restored their number. Filling the Judas-sized hole is a short story in the book of Acts, but it was a big deal – certainly in the history of our faith. It was one of the very first tasks of the Easter Church; in the ten days between the Ascension and Pentecost the followers of Jesus prayed and filled out the depth chart. That’s it; that’s the list. Peter cared deeply about this task. Everyone remembers Peter’s stunning speech on the day of Pentecost, in Acts chapter two, but his first sermon is what we re...