A pastor was shaking hands with people as they left the church.  A couple greeted him and said, "We listened carefully to every word you said."  The pastor thanked the couple and said that he looked forward to seeing them next week.  "Oh, we won't be here next week," the couple responded.  "We're going to another church next week to get a second opinion." (1) 

It's not easy being a pastor. It's not easy being the church. The first Christian church had challenges right from its birth. In today's lesson Jesus had only recently ascended to be with the Father. Pentecost had not yet occurred. They were in a kind of holding pattern, unsure of their destiny. Even though Jesus had told them everything they needed to know, they were like us. They were slow when it came to understanding God's will.…