Rochester, MN UCC - "All Things in Common" - Acts 2:42-47
Acts 2:42-47 - 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 by 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.
The followers of Jesus found themselves in a whole new world in the days and weeks following the resurrection. The impossible had happened! God had come into the world in a new way and it changed how they lived together. In the second chapter of Acts, we are told how their choices and it can be a little hard for good capitalist American ears to hear. They sold all they had and held everything in common, no one wanted for what they needed?!?
They encountered a God who cared deeply about those in need. A God who warned about ignoring the poor and abandoned and called people into right relationship with one another. Salvation wasn't simply a personal experience that enables you to be pious while ignoring the suffering of your neighbor, but a call to create a just community where the blessings God provided are used for the benefit of all of God's people.
As people living in a gilded age with the chasm between the rich and poor growing ever larger- what can we learn from these earliest Christians? How can we also be moved by our love of neighbor to create a beloved community that pushes back against greed, hyper individualism, and all those things that keep us from caring for one another in tangible ways. Join me Sunday as we consider how to live together and to praise God who has given us all that we need.
Pastor Shannon Smith