Awe Came Upon Everyone

Life Among the Believers

Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.  All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and good and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.  Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all people.  And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Acts 2:43-47

The Believers Share Their Possessions

Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common.  With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.  There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold.  They laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to him the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means "son of encouragement").  He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles feet.

******************************************************************

The text for this week opens with the word 'awe' and it seems a fitting description for what I feel as I read this text today. Awe.  The testimony of a community of Christ followers united in heart and mind, sharing possessions and goods as any had need, spending much time together in the temple, breaking bread together with glad and generous hearts and praising God does indeed inspire awe.

Or maybe it creates in some apprehension or even fear?  Is the gospel this radical? Is this community in Acts some kind of model community that we should try and emulate? Recreate?  Should we all become new monastics?  Won't that make us appear even more strange?

More to the point, have you ever tried to share or give away something of value?  It is not as simple as it appears in this text, or is it?  Surely, this is meant more as a historical account than an exhortation to the church today? Right?

The example of these early believers isn't spoken of a great deal in the New Testament but we do know theirs was a unique and a powerful witness of the transformative power of the gospel in lives and communities.  And today we need to remember just that: the gospel transforms us and it transforms our communities.  

We see this in our churches, we give witness to it in our lives.  It is a holy mystery. As we read God's word and are instructed in the scripture we are reminded of the story that we belong to, we remember how God has acted throughout history for redemption. We have a firm hope in a faithful God.

As we pray and worship together we are confronted with who God is and who we are; we are convicted of the ways we distort the truth, the ways we miss the mark in our lives and utterly fail.  We receive God's grace and mercy towards us - we are loved and forgiven.  This is most visible in our worship as we receive the sacrament of communion. There is a way forward for us as a people,  through the body and blood of Christ.  

Did you notice the words, "they spent much time together" in the text earlier.  I read somewhere that for children the words, "quality time" are not what matter.  It is "quantity time":  it is around the table, over the board game, in the car, cleaning the house, walking to school that the relationship grows and secure attachment is formed.  Apparently there is no substitute for quantity not, quality time.

The same is true for our faith communities: the more we give ourselves to Christ and to one another the more we discover who we are together, here, in this place. We begin to move beyond the surface conversations; we get a little more real with one another.  We pray for and encourage each other.  And we begin to wonder what God might have for all of us gathered here, together...

If you have ever glimpsed God working in a community in generous and hospitable ways where people speak freely to the work of Christ in their midst, you have a context for this text.  It looks different and the same; I can only describe it as beautiful and mysterious and utterly compelling. And to witness or to be a part of it is a foretaste of the Kingdom to come - it is a place where the space between the already and the not-yet seems incredibly small.  Sometimes I get a glimpse of this work here in our midst - in groups that gather to share life with one another and to pray, among people who get together to serve, to work with new Canadians.

I am also reminded of what Father Don shared after returning from Haiti in 2014. He spoke of driving through the devastation of disaster and poverty and arriving in the small, remote, rural community of Cachiman and discovering amongst this poor community the rich presence of Christ.  These people who sleep on earthen floors, spend hours transporting water in a day and know struggle deeply, also know joy and generosity.  They give out of their poverty and abundance of heart to a benevolent fund sharing with those in their community in need.  They don't just want any partner church who will donate money to projects, they want a partner church who believes in the God they believe in.  And when they heard Father Don deliver the creed they couldn't even contain their joy, they were praising God even as he spoke.  And the clapping and cheering led to singing 'How Great Thou Art' in Creole and English with the same heart and mind and the tears rolled down as they sang.  Awe came upon them.

The lessons for this week focus on themes of one big family, God's people share and God's people are dependable. I am curious to hear how the children will respond to this text: what is their experience of the church? What are the ways that they participate in and contribute to our life together?  Why does this matter?  May our community of children be a place of hospitality for children, a place where scriptures come alive, where life is shared and Christ is made known.