42 The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers. 43 A sense of awe came over everyone. God performed many wonders and signs through the apostles. 44 All the believers were united and shared everything. 45 They would sell pieces of property and possessions and distribute the proceeds to everyone who needed them. 46 Every day, they met together in the temple and ate in their homes. They shared food with gladness and simplicity. 47 They praised God and demonstrated God’s goodness to everyone. The Lord added daily to the community those who were being saved.
Reflection
The full, formal title of this book of the Bible is “The Acts of the Apostles.” There is a shift in
content from Luke’s Gospel, which is about Jesus, to Acts, which concerns the life and work of
the church, of the community of believers. This is the first of several summaries in which Luke
characterizes the life of the earliest Christian community as a fellowship involving worship,
study, and the sharing of possessions.
When I first read this passage in preparation for writing today’s devotional, I was drawn to the
phrase “Community of Believers.” For over two thousand years the community of faith known as Christianity, or the Church, has not been able to agree on what we believe other than the central teaching of Jesus to love one another.
Last week I was reflecting on this scripture passage with one of our sons. He works with a group of Buddhist “Sanghas” located around the world, all started by the Vietnamese Buddhist Monk, Thich Nhat Hanh. Having been raised in a United Methodist church he and I have had some very intriguing conversations through the years, and this was the most interesting one yet! I had never heard the word “Sangha” so he told me that the definition of Sangha is Community. He said he would look for some written material when he had some time. I started digging into information on the internet and learned that a sangha is a community of Buddhists or a monastic hierarchy practicing the Buddha’s teachings. The original sangha was formed by the Buddha’s disciples, who gave up the quest for material possessions so that they could travel with the Buddha and spread his teachings. Does that sound familiar?
The word “ Sangha ” is a Sanskrit word that means, literally, “a community that joins and lives
together.” In this sense, we could use the term “network” for it, because all these various people or things that are joined together interact and form a whole. Dharma, or Buddha’s
teachings, can best be explained as conduct that upholds universal natural laws, and when humankind follows these laws, it allows them to be happy and prevent suffering. It’s a combination of morality and spiritual discipline that guides one in living one’s life. That, too, sounds very familiar.
by Kathleen Stolz
For Pondering and Prayer
I love this passage as a reminder that the first disciples of Jesus were deeply committed to the people, ALL the people in their known world. The commentary note in my CEB says this is a summary section describing the continuing pattern of growth, fellowship, and various practices of teaching prayer, worship, and ministry characterizing the early church. An emphasis on “everyone” and “all” runs through these verses indicating a concern for the welfare not only of every believer but also of the wider society. Through the ages, the Christian Community of Believers has grown and become a world-wide phenomenon. However, all Christians do not believe the same things. And thankfully, Christianity has grown into countless churches of various denominations and theologies where we can feel, worship and act as the body of Christ.
After I retired from active ministry during COVID in 2020 I needed to find new ways to connect to a community, or communities, of believers. I have continued to support a few congrega-tions with offerings, to volunteer as a reader for Sunday liturgy, and to connect via the internet for worship experiences as well as an internet bible study. I am not at all surprised that people of all ages and stages of life are discovering new forms of Communities of Believers.
As you ponder the community of believers that you are part of, or would like to be part
of, what is most important to you?
Prayer: Loving Creator, Thank you for opening doors of discovery. Doors to discovering new
opportunities. Opportunities to becoming a part of caring communities, communities of
believers. Believers in Love. Love of the world as you created it to be. Amen. And Amen.
