Life Together

Acts 2:37-47

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.  Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods 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 the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

__________

Introduction

To recap our series on "Discerning Discipleship," last week, we focused on the Holy Spirit as a point of ignition for faith in action, and today we continue our exploration of discipleship by looking at what it means to live in community with one another. I am okay spoiling this for you at the top of our reflection (because I don't think it's a surprise) but living in a community is not an easy task. Community is messy; just look at any family unit or group of people; of course, there are highs, but there are also lows and times of conflict. As we navigate the social dynamics of community, we cannot forget that how we live our lives together are also acts of discipleship.

Our Growing Edges

I don't know about here in Scotland and the United Kingdom, but in the United States, the past few years have demonstrated that our political and philosophical ideologies dictate more of how we treat one another than the belief that we are all uniquely and wonderfully made individuals. The result has been and continues to be quite catastrophic. A lack of empathy and willingness to listen rear their ugly heads as symptoms of a much larger systemic issue. It may be a lack of energy, yet whatever the cause, it highlights the importance of cultivating community as an act of discipleship. The opening of our hearts to hear what the Spirit of God is saying, even if it comes from someone we might disagree with. 

We should acknowledge that community building is a difficult task; at times, we've contributed and torn down. As we look towards the formation of community in the passage from Acts, we should take to heart the intent of the people gathered (who were listening with a fiery zeal). Listening well requires we set aside our temptation to come to a conversation with "right" answers. Too often, we don't leave room for the Spirit to give us the conviction of the person who asked the disciples what they should do. If we can learn to quiet and settle our egos, we begin creating a space where our lives flourish with nourishment given by the Holy Spirit. However, we can only start that process by acknowledging our growing edges and understanding what comprises a faith/faithful community.

What Makes A Faithful Community?

While there are a number of factors that go into cultivating a healthy community of faith, let's look at what I think are three vital components from our reading today: Empathy, Repentance, and Fellowship.

Empathy - A faithful community is an empathetic community. I've already alluded a tad to what I mean by that (being able to engage with listening ears and an open heart). We see the crowd gathered around to hear Peter's sermon, and they were listening so intently that their hearts and minds were "pricked" or "stung," as the literal translation of the ancient Greek states. And they reach a climax where they are so cut to the heart they ask a simple but life-altering question, "What should we do?" An empathic community that lives a life of faith together is open to such acts of listening and asking questions of the Spirit.  

Repentance - Repentance is another crucial component of a faithful community, as we find in our reading. There is a turning (both spiritual and physical) in the life of individual disciples and in the life of the community. There is a turning from "what was" to "what will be" when we follow Christ. We see this in the early rite of baptism, where individuals would remove their old clothes, and then after their baptism, they would climb out and receive a new set of clothes and be welcomed by the community. There are things that they promised to give up so that they could live as a reflection of the love and life of God. The old ways of living in sin and death no longer claim dominion over the people of God. 

Fellowship - John Chrysostom (an Early Church Father) talked about the sacrament of neighbor. We cannot separate the gifts we've received in baptism and the Lord's Supper from our call to live in a relationship with one another. Therefore another mark of a community of faith is the providing for the nurture, spiritual well-being, and physical needs of members of the community (both inside and out). Those who repent and those who profess faith in Christ find their lives cannot be isolated. A spiritual and communal fellowship takes place to ensure that the needs of all are met and that a spirit of generosity flows freely.

Community As Discipleship

Last week I asked you to consider where the Holy Spirit is moving in your life. As we reflect on our growing edges and what it means to be a community of faith, I wonder if anything that popped up for you fits into any of the categories we explored today (empathy, repentance, and fellowship). Our lives together are an act of discipleship, and the spiritual gifts we bring are reflected in our words, actions, and spiritual practices. Because as we look at how we live our life together with a fellowship of other disciples, our love for them and our neighbors reflects our love for God. And by loving our neighbor faithfully and feeding them (and allowing them to feed us), we create space for mutual discipleship.

Conclusion

Living in a community is not always easy, but it is an act of discipleship. I encourage you to continue in personal reflection this week to see how the Spirit's gifts in your life can empower you to participate in a fellowship of faith founded on empathy/compassion, repentance, and connection. By embracing these elements, we allow ourselves to be nourished by them and be the source of spiritual nourishment for others. And isn't that what it means to live together in the kin-dom of God? May we continually seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we strive to live out our faith within the context of a sacred life lived together with others.

“From too much love of living,
Hope and desire set free,
Even the weariest river
Winds somewhere to the sea--“

But we have only begun
To love the earth.

We have only begun
To imagine the fullness of life.

How could we tire of hope?
-- so much is in bud.

How can desire fail?
-- we have only begun

to imagine justice and mercy,
only begun to envision

how it might be
to live as siblings with beast and flower,
not as oppressors.

Surely our river
cannot already be hastening
into the sea of nonbeing?

Surely it cannot
drag, in the silt,
all that is innocent?

Not yet, not yet--
there is too much broken
that must be mended,

too much hurt we have done to each other
that cannot yet be forgiven.

We have only begun to know
the power that is in us if we would join
our solitudes in the communion of struggle.

So much is unfolding that must
complete its gesture,
so much is in bud.

(“Beginners” by Denise Levertov)