BECOMING COMMUNITY (Foundational Study #2)

the early followers of Jesus in Jerusalem (Acts 2, 4) committed themselves to several things, and i long to be part of a church with that kind of zealous community.

they were committed to the apostles' doctrine. hungry for a word from God, and with all of this truth about Jesus being new to them, every day they were somehow learning to piece it all together from the Old Testament writings and the stories that the apostles remembered about Jesus. so at Christ's Community, we try to have room for at least one message, more often two or three, and we provide suggested daily readings from the lectionary, encourage people to participate in blogs and email, to listen to sermons, and to make use of the abundant resources at our fingertips. what if every conversation revolved around talking about Jesus?

they were devoted to the fellowship. every day they were eating meals together in their homes, they were exercizing extended hospitality to one another, and they were giving to anyone in need. in fact, they were together (in close proximity) every day, they were sharing all things in common, as the weeks went on they realized that they were draining their resources, and so they were selling their possessions and goods (extra fields and whatnot) to meet others' needs. they were meeting daily in the temple courts (large group) and sharing meals in their homes. amazing! our church is trying to follow that kind of model by being a network of house churches, where ministry is done deeper with a few, rather than scattered among the many. what if every day we were living as if we were a healthy extended family?

they continued steadfastly in the breaking of the Loaf. more than eating meals, they were remembering Jesus every day by having Holy Communion together. He was the center of their gatherings, not just on Sundays, but every day. cciph is trying to embrace the Table as a central part of our gathering each week by having each house church prepare and lead in the time of the Lord's Supper, encouraging creativity and a certain highlight of the Meal when we meet. what if every meal in every house somehow remembered Jesus as its "dessert?"

they committed themselves to the prayers. as Israelites, they knew well the memorized prayers of the synagogue, which they had been saying two or three times every day even before they knew Christ. how much more were they devoted now to saying not only those ritual prayers, but to saturating every day with conversation with the Lord. they were way beyond required token prayers in those days; they were experiencing miracles in answered prayers, and they were living in conversation with the Almighty. we are also trying as a church to have that kind of commitment in our assemblies; that's why we meet for nearly two hours every week, because we want to take the time for extended prayers about the will of God all over the world. we pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters, for physical needs, for governments, for other churches, for God's kingdom to come and his will to be done on earth. what if every conversation flowed freely in and out of prayer?

can we sustain that kind of commitment for weeks, months, and even years? yes, i believe we can, one day at a time. that's what i long to be a part of, and to that end i will dedicate my life. amen.