Mutual Support Creates Real Community
Daily Scripture
Acts 2:42-47
42 The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers. 43 A sense of awe came over everyone. God performed many wonders and signs through the apostles. 44 All the believers were united and shared everything. 45 They would sell pieces of property and possessions and distribute the proceeds to everyone who needed them. 46 Every day, they met together in the temple and ate in their homes. They shared food with gladness and simplicity. 47 They praised God and demonstrated God’s goodness to everyone. The Lord added daily to the community those who were being saved.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
The earliest Christians were a largely unknown group, living out their faith in a city that had crucified their Lord. But they trusted that the risen Christ was with them, and were bound together by the apostles’ teaching, prayer, fellowship, and a spirit of radically helping one another. They shared their faith in appealing ways that made people’s lives better (cf. Acts 2:36-41). In the end, that small, obscure movement they belonged to would shape the world more effectively than the Roman Empire’s armies.
- The Holy Spirit’s power moved the first Christians to live in ways that connected them to one another. It wasn’t just a few things—it was meals, it was prayers, it was worshiping and learning together. Verse 44 said they “were united and shared everything.” The Spirit empowered them to set aside a focus on their gain to bless others. In what ways has the Spirit broadened your horizons, guiding you to share your life to lift other people up?
- What challenges do you face when it comes to contributing to the well-being of others? What holds you back? The foundations of the early Christians’ powerful impact were the five practices we call “the walk” at Resurrection: worship, study, serve, give and share. In which of these areas do you sense God inviting you to grow in the weeks and months ahead? (Resurrection doesn’t want you to just “attend,” but to belong. Click here to find good starting points.)
Prayer
Living Lord Jesus, you gave yourself fully for my sake. Grow in me a heart that more fully mirrors your generous spirit as I relate to others in my world. Amen.
GPS Insights
Emily Stirewalt
Emily Stirewalt, who serves as Resurrection's Silverlink Pastor specializing in pastoral care of elderly adults, wrote today's Insights. She is an ordained Elder in the Missouri Annual Conference and has served since 2007. She is married to Randall, a special education teacher. They have two daughters, Elliott and Marlowe. Emily enjoys binge watching "Friends" or "Golden Girls."
This summer a special family opened their home to several families with young children, including my family and me. It was part of “dinners for 9” organized by our new Resurrection Lee’s Summit community! It was loud, exciting and full of energy, no doubt! There were about a dozen children under the age of 5 and their parents, gathered two separate times. All of us are from different walks of life but desire to build community in the Lee’s Summit area.
At the first gathering, swimming time was ending, and the dinner transition was proving to be difficult for several of the kids. A fellow mom asked me how my family felt about screen time. I told her that we use it to survive sometimes, and this moment felt like survival with several kids melting down and needing something distracting so the grown-ups could fix plates and get everyone fed. A bit later over dinner, I shared a take I have on screens that’s different from other parents at times. Sometimes, thirty minutes of “Miss Rachel” or “Paw Patrol” means my children get dinner or their clothes get washed. Sometimes, screens are a part of our community, because we are isolated from so many other supports as two full-time working parents. (Side Note: Before you judge a parent for finding some support from screens, think about how much support they have available to them and then offer to be their community.)
Looking back on our initial five second discussion and agreement, as well as my new friend’s relief when I shared my philosophy on screen time tells me a lot about what parents of young children need right now. It is difficult to raise small children in today’s world. There is a lot of judgment for parents at times, and yes, sometimes even from “good” church people. I am grateful for this new community we are finding at our Lee’s Summit location. It reminds me of the early church in today’s Scripture–in sharing all things, from tantrums to birthday parties, we are building something special together. I am excited for what God is doing!
