GodReflection: Power Words

Sunday wasn’t a first century holiday.

Slaves worked fields and served in homes of their owners. I suspect merchants went about business as if it were a Tuesday or a Friday.

Shopkeepers opened doors, fishermen fished, and bakers baked.

On Sunday, at the end of a hard day of work, disciples of the risen Jesus started to gather around oil lamps to remember, to be grateful, to worship, to commune, to pray, to encourage, and to share.

The Holy Spirit of Jesus resided inside of each believer. They shared food, blessings, and wine. In the food, blessings, and wine the salvation of Jesus reappeared within the core of each soul.

In those early days as disciple moved about Jerusalem, they seem to make it a point to go by the temple courts. Did anyone have a need? Here’s some money. Here’s a job. Here’s a prayer. Unity prevailed.

Luke the Physician described it this way in the Acts of the Apostles:  All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.

Shamefully, that is not my reality.

I need more than Sunday to get anywhere near Luke’s account.

Truth is—my Sunday’s can be rather anemic.

I meet with Christ followers on Sunday but I doubt that we are even close to Luke’s description.  I sing with the church, read Scripture with the church, and with the church remember Jesus. From the pulpit, I hear both truth and tradition baptized as truth.

In short, I attempt to worship.

How can I interact with believers the other six days of the week?

How can I experience the Acts chapter 2 church in a mega city almost 2000 years removed from its first roots?

I live among the Diaspora. I am a member of the church that left Jerusalem and today is scattered across the face of the earth. That means my fellowship with Christ followers stretches far beyond a group of believers at a given address.

The good news is I can enjoy worldwide fellowship due to the Internet Diaspora. The connection economy places Christ followers known to me across the landscape of my life into a current circle. The digital world becomes my 21^st century daily Temple Court encounter. Through it, I encourage and receive encouragement.

I can grow and interact with the church of Jesus for six days as I wait for another Sunday to commune with a group of saints who meet near my home. It adds to my Sundays.

More than Sunday comes from reading and hearing God’s Word. I love nothing as much as I love good preaching. The digital world allows me to receive balanced proclamation. It allows me to hear daily the experience of multiple voices as they share with me their encounter with Jesus and Scripture.

My weekly ‘more’ comes from coffee time, lunch encounters, and telephone conversations with those who due to distance; and any number of circumstance don’t worship under the same roof with me on Sunday.

No, it’s not the same as Luke reports. I wish I could do better.

How do you grow and fellowship with the church between Sundays?

Stay tuned.

Dr. Gary J. Sorrells – A GodReflection on More as a Power Word.

Gary@GodReflection.org