Acts 2:42-47
When I think of community, my thoughts go to the end of the second chapter of Acts. In a whirlwind the first followers witnessed the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the ascension of Jesus, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and a flood of new believers responding to the gospel. In response to this whirlwind these followers, old and new, were not frenzied fanatics, but loving neighbors who assembled together to share what they had, both spiritual and temporal. Their response was to form a community.
While I can only imagine what that whirlwind was like, I know what community is and it’s amazing. Acquaintances have become friends, who then became family. It’s a time and place to pause from the pace of 21st century craziness, to share joys and sorrows (and more than a few meals), to give thanks for the blessings of Christ and the comfort of his spirit, to pray for and be prayed for. It’s an opportunity to talk about Biblical truth and the teaching and preaching of anointed leaders. It is and has been for the last several years my Growth Group here at La Jolla Pres.
During Lent we think about the sacrifice Jesus made to atone for our sin, and we are moved to find sacrifices we can make to honor such a selfless act. In this self-centered world, giving yourself to a community of believers seems to be a most fitting sacrifice.