At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s. – Acts 6:15

Our focus this week in the men’s Bible study was Acts 5-7, the series of events that led to the arrest and stoning of Stephen.

We enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation, as always, but while we were talking one idea kept making its way to the surface – Stephen’s shining face.

We first meet Stephen when he is elected as a deacon, chosen – among others – to take care of day-to-day logistics so the apostles could be freed up for “prayer and teaching the word.” But Stephen immediately gains attention for doing a lot more than just (as the NLT phrases it) “running a food program.”

Stephen was described as “full of God’s grace and power.” And the scriptures note “the wisdom and the Spirit” with which he spoke.

If anyone was saying, “Stay in your lane, deacon!” then it wasn’t taking.

“And they saw that his face was radiant,” the writer of Acts points out, “it shone like an angel’s.”

I think this all goes back to the “We can’t help but talk about what we have seen and heard,” idea in Acts 4. Stephen is involved in the day-to-day details of ministry, the non-sexy stuff like Wednesday suppers… and visiting the homebound… and grocery runs… and taking people to the clinic… and paying the light bill… and making sure needs are being met. And so this beautiful spirit of mutual love and care and changed lives works its way into his soul and he can’t help himself, he has to share the story.

I am thinking about the places we find ourselves hanging out. If I can’t help talking about my church family, and God’s goodness, and what a friend I have in Jesus, plus my face is shining like an angel in response to the beauty of holiness that is so evident – then who knows, maybe I might be seen as full with God’s power and grace and wisdom too?

Or they will just take me out and stone me. There’s always that! – DEREK