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\u201cLord,\u201d Ananias answered, \u201cI have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.\u201d But the Lord said to Ananias, \u201cGo! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.\u201d Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, \u201cBrother Saul, the Lord\u2014Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here\u2014has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.\u201d (Acts 9:13-17)

The theme of this week is waiting for God. \xa0The founding story of the church from Acts tells us that the church is always firstly a community that waits for God\u2019s work and God\u2019s power to send it.

Does God send the church? \xa0Yes, always. \xa0But only in God\u2019s own power. \xa0Which means that we are always waiting in trust and hope on God to move his church. \xa0

Now I suggested that Matthias\u2019 selection was perhaps less a movement of God than a movement of anxious disciples who couldn\u2019t sit still and wait like they\u2019d been told. \xa0As it turned out, Jesus was more than capable of choosing a 12th disciple all on his own, as he did by knocking Saul off a horse on the Damascus road and calling him Paul.

Now, you can argue with that interpretation. \xa0Paul certainly didn\u2019t think of himself as one of the twelve. \xa0In 1 Corinthians 15 he makes reference to them as he tells the story of Jesus\u2019 resurrection appearances. \xa0He finishes by saying: \u201clast of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. \xa0For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.\u201d \xa0

The disciples chose Matthias as one of the twelve. \xa0No one, including God argues with that action. \xa0Jesus later choses Paul to be his \u201cinstrument to proclaim [his] name to the Gentiles.\u201d \xa0Paul works harder than any of the twelve to spread the good news of Jesus to the ends of the earth. \xa0Somehow then, Paul becomes an apostle with an authority and ministry that is seemingly equal to that of the twelve, though he\u2019s never really counted among them. \xa0So what are we to make of all this? \xa0

Well\u2014through our waiting and our acting, whether from faith or unfaithfulness\u2014there is always a God who, in Christ and through the Spirit, still winds up accomplishing more than we could ask or imagine. \xa0

Instead of Jesus removing Matthias and replacing him with Paul, we instead get a baker\u2019s dozen. \xa013 apostles instead of 12. \xa0Just as David is the 8th son instead of the 7th. \xa0God is that kind of a God\u2014a God of blessing upon blessing. \xa0A God who sees abundance where the 11 apostles initially saw scarcity. \xa0A God who gives abundance in places where disciples like Ananias see only a threat to be feared. \xa0

God is accomplishing more than we could ask or imagine. \xa0In places where we can\u2019t see a way\u2014he makes a way. \xa0In places where we don\u2019t feel we are enough or have enough, we discover that he is more than enough. \xa0All we have ever needed to do is to wait in hope and in trust for him.\xa0

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