Morning Thought - Real Community

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2:42) There are interesting images of the church from outside. Some see it as an institution, some see it as a building, some see it as a group of freaks, some see it as a team of people who do nice things but have crazy beliefs. One of the most interesting things about the perspective of the church in the early days was that it was based on something crazy – and that was a crazy desire to be with people. What I find so inspirational about this verse is that people were committed – first to getting good teaching together, then just being together and sharing the most friendly of activities – having something to eat together – and also they were committed to seeking God together. In a society driven by the pursuit of individualism and autonomy, where the self is king above everything this picture really provides something sharply contrasting. It provides a brief glimpse at the kind of community God is looking for. The rest of this section of scripture (Acts 2:42-47) goes on to further outline how Spirit-led people had a dramatic impact on each other and the community around them. It’s this kind of vision of what a church is all about that should be viewed by the world around us. As Jesus Himself said the world will know that we are His disciples by the love we have for each other creating the most powerful sense of real commUNITY the world will ever know. That’s my prayer for the church today – that we’ll be dedicated to teaching; real intimate fellowship and seeking God together to change our lives and the lives of those around for His glory. 4 His Name’s Sake Shalom da man cd