Here we have a bunch of early Christians in Jerusalem. They meet in the Temple (in Solomon's Portico (a covered walkway on the Eastern side of the place) and shared the Apostles teaching and broke bread and...
And displayed such unity and love a that people were attracted to their philosophy and lifestyle. Many will tell you that they lived in communes but the more I've studied this the more convinced I am that they lived in their own homes and came together and, when they need arose! shared what they had in terms of money and property. You need a law mower? Use mine! The Church needs money - hang on a minute whilst I sell some land or go get some money from under the bed. Interestingly the words 'from time to time' are missing from the NRSV version but should go in front of 'for as many as owned lands'; this is about meeting the needs of those around them.
The Acts 2 and 4 passages are so often taken up as what happens when we come together and act as 'Church' and is the dream of many as the hallmark of successful and authentic church; and it is - all you need is sharing in the vision, the pastoral, the commitment to give and meet the needs of the Church and the putting of the 'the fellowship' and the gospel before self.
It is, as the psalmist tells, us 'good and pleasant' to live in unity. But the idyll comes at a cost because unity means submission and putting self lower than others. It means more than sticking a fiver on the plate as it passes and thinking that's 'job done'. It is about putting self on the cross and giving our all physically, mentally, financially and spiritually.
And that's where all this Acts 2 and 4 stuff gets sticky. The Acts believers were caught up in a frenzy of faith, successful faith, where people were healed and stuff happened. This is reflected in the 1 John passage where fellowship features large. 'Fellowship' (koinonia in the Greek) means family and like the 'ohana' word in 'LILO and Stitch':
“Koinonia means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten”
What would you do for those you love?
Think about that question and then ask whether you'd do the same for those in the church around you.
If your church needed money to survive - would you give or give up?
The answer to that question might just explain why the Church struggles in some places and perhaps gives us a clue to what is going wrong with the Church today.
Every day I ask myself where my commitment, passion and heart are when it comes to Church and those within it - what would your answer be if you asked the same question of yourself?
Sadly, the second focus of the day - Thomas - has the potential to get lost in the desire for unity and yet he is part of the picture we need to be painting today as we seek to be 'authentic Church' because he is something we need more of in our churches (yes, you read that correctly).
'What?, I hear many say, 'We need doubters who question God and bring unbelief into church?' And the answer 'Yes' is found in who this man, Thomas, is in terms of what we know about him and what he brings to the party.
For too many years I have lived with people who deride and abuse Thomas as the purveyor of doubt; the bringer of the most destructive cancer Church can suffer from. But they are wrong.
Wrong because when Jesus says he is about to set off for Bethany, a place where death is a real potential, His followers all try to persuade Him otherwise, but Thomas gets his coat, bowler and umbrella and ready to follow Hhis master says to the rest of the disciples, 'Let us also go, that we may die with him.' (John 11).
Here is a man of courage and commitment - he is someone modelling one of the traits I wish we could see more of in the Church: courage and commitment regardless of the cost to self. This is the fuel that makes unity a reality and draws others into fellowship with us. People love to see authentic commitment.
But still people will be shaking their heads and will be pointing to the 'doubt' label as if it is wrong. But doubt is good and essential for us if we are to not have doubt eat us away. Doubt is the crucible where faith is refined and made real (I loved it when I first said it from a pulpit and love it still as I type those words - and the memory of a colleague shaking their head and taking me to task over it later only makes it more important).
Thomas missed Jesus popping in after the resurrection and I'm not sure whether he thought it was a wind-up or what, but what is says is 'Show me! Let me make this mine in the only way I can: Seeing is believing, so show me!'
The problem with doubt is the fact that it demands an answer; it demands proof and this is where the problems start and our dislike of doubt begins to bite. For doubt requires an answer and so many I engage with are unable to give one, so they merely dismiss the doubt, and the doubter! as something wrong and continue by applauding those who have 'faith'. Could this be because the faithful don't ask questions we can't answer perhaps?
To have a true and authentic faith, one which builds Church and sees people selling stuff and coming together and seeing lives changed and 'signs and wonders' and miracles and stuff there needs to be a complete 'soldoutedness' and this comes by having tested what Christians claim and challenging it to the point that it stands or falls within us. We cannot live in a world of 'because I say so' but in a world of 'because I believe so': And this comes by not leaving your brain at the church door but by using it fully and becoming a reasoned and engaged and thinking and challenging believer.
Thomas is our model for this. If you have a doubt, then ask and if the person you ask cannot give you an answer then ask someone else about the hope that they have in Jesus, the Christ, and tell the person with no answer to 'man up' and get an answer too!
Fellowship - Unity - Doubt - Belief
All a fingertip away if you really want them and an eternity away unless you can live authentically and honestly as Christians. It's your choice ;-)
Collect
Risen Christ, for whom no door is locked, no entrance barred: open the doors of our hearts, that we may seek the good of others and walk the joyful road of sacrifice and peace, to the praise of God the Father. Amen.
Acts 4.32-35
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.
Psalm 133
Behold how good and pleasant it is to dwell together in unity. It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, even on Aaron’s beard, running down upon the collar of his clothing. It is like the dew of Hermon running down upon the hills of Zion. For there the Lord has promised his blessing: even life for evermore.
1 John 1.1 - 2.2
We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life - this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us - we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
John 20.19-31
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
Post Communion
Lord God our Father, through our Saviour Jesus Christ you have assured your children of eternal life and in baptism have made us one with him: deliver us from the death of sin and raise us to new life in your love, in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
