Peter and Paul

[Jesus said] Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.” ~ John 21:18-19

Today is the feast day of the Apostles Peter and Paul.

How does that old saying go (or maybe it's a song...I can't remember). "Preach like Peter and Pray like Paul"?

From the beginning, it seems like Peter and Paul didn't like each other much. Peter was a stickler for tradition, and Paul was the visionary who knew that change was needed.

A little perhaps like people we've known in our congregations.

I've been at more than one meeting where someone stormed out of the room because of proposed change. Maybe Peter wanted to do that. I'm pretty confident that Paul bugged him - at least initially.

And so it goes. But the reality is that we need both voices in our community and in our lives.

I need both voices in my life.

The church would not be the church without Peter AND Paul: eventually, they listened to each other and worked together.

The Church is Christ's, but we need some Peters and some Pauls to come together with their differing voices to help demonstrate the Body of Christ to a world in need.

For us Peters in your church, help us to listen to the Pauls. For us Pauls, help us to listen to the Peters. And above all, may we always listen to you. Amen