Easter week 2

Psalm: Psalm 133
Acts: Acts 4:32-35
Gospel: John 20:19-31
Epistle: 1 John 1:1-2:2

Welcome to the second Sunday of Easter.  Last week in service I was overwhelmed with the amount of people, almost 1,400.  This week I heard first service was much emptier.  Isn’t strange how church for so many is optional?  One week it is practically standing room only, and the very next week there are plenty of empty seats.  I must admit that I am a part of this trend.  We are at church every week, but not in service.  We go to Sunday school every week, but we are hit and miss when it comes to the church service.  The issues that surround my reason as well as others for missing Church I’m sure range from the theological to the lazy, and from the apathetic to noble, such as kids sports events.

The point of this blog of course is to discuss the weekly lectionaries, not to give you mine or anybody else’s ecclesiology.  But one’s ecclesiology becomes apparent as to why we go to Church.  In terms of church leadership, their ecclesiology and theology in general is very apparent in how they conduct the service.  Just things to think about.  If you want to discuss ecclesiology and why, when I go to service at my church, I feel like we missed the point and even that I didn’t really go to Church, let me know.  I’d be happy to express my opinions.

This introduction does have a point.  Our readings this week invite us to explore the nature of what it means to be Christian. Is a Christian one who goes to church? Our theme starts as early as the first verse of the Psalms: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.”  Acts gives us a glimpse of how this was portrayed by the earliest followers of Jesus.  Luke records that the Christians were selling all they had and holding all things in common.  They took the proceeds of what was given to the church and gave it to each as they had need.  Luke has tendency to present an idealized view of the early church, but least we think there was no division he follows this story the story of Ananias and Sapphira holding money back, then lying about it and ultimately were struck down by the Holy Spirit.

Very few people in the history of the Church have advocated that this model is the Chirsian model for living.  It is a stretch to say that one is not a Christian if they don’t sell everything, work full time, and give everything they have and earn to the Church. However, the Church has also believed that this is a valid approach to Christianity and is witnessed to by the monastic movement as well as others.

Our readings from John’s Gospel as well as his first Epistle compliment and provide the motivation for the Church’s actions in Acts.  Jesus unites his followers together in and by the Spirit.  He unites them under the purpose and task of witnessing to the forgiving sins. (Those Protestants professing “sola scritptura” ought to at least ponder the root, if not the historical practice of the Catholic practice of confession.) In Jesus’ prayer at Last Supper in John he prays that his disciples would be one just as he and the Father are one. (17:21)

John continues to tell us that Christianity is at least partially about how we treat others.  In 1 John, he passes on the “message we have heard from” Jesus which includes the phrase, “if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another.”  John goes on to write about Jesus sacrifice and death which has provided the means for our salvation.  Yet inside his whole dialogue is the exhortation that if this is the case then we will not sin.  We will be united with our brother and sister in Christ. 

John recognizes that Christianity truly is a journey and a walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is enough to confess Jesus as Lord; we must also “practice the truth.”  How we live our lives matters.  The church in Acts expressed this love and unity in the Body of Christ by selling all they had and holding it all in common.  Our reading today challenges us with this question:  How are we honoring and serving our brother or sister?  How are we caring for those in need?

This question is not just meant for the individual believer or family, it is for the whole Church.  At least one reason we gather on Sunday morning is an expression of our unity.  We gather so that we can care for each other’s needs.  We gather so that we can give our money and resources for the care of those inside the Church as well as those outside the Church.  These reasons, amongst others are why we go to Church.  If we miss church, then we miss the opportunity to live our unity and we just might miss the opportunity to serve our brother or sister in Christ.