As our faith family continues to be “Empowered” through the study of the Acts of the Apostles, now is a good time to not only be present in the life of our church, but to also evaluate our daily practices of living into the power of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:43-47 is a glimpse into the life of early believers. Their daily lives were consumed by spiritual disciplines. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” NRSV
Earlier this week, I attended an Empowering Writers workshop led by Nichole Carter. The workshop was indeed empowering, and one particular instruction lodged within my heart, as Nichole taught us about the practice of writing, she explained, “If you want your kids to do anything, you better model (it), and you better model it a lot!” As every minister is apt to do, I immediately thought to myself, this is the gospel truth and if parents and teachers would be as deliberate in their practice of the spiritual disciplines as they are with everything else, church would not be an extracurricular activity, but a way of life. The scripture above is not merely describing ACU Summit or Camp Eagle or Leadership Training for Christ, all uplifting events in the life of our community, but paints a picture of the real everyday life of believers. Instead of asking the question, why do we attend worship services in a certain building, I believe a better question is how are we modeling life as followers of Christ? This isn’t just a competition, or a week away in Rocksprings, TX, or a gathering of 5,000 of your closest friends sitting in a coliseum in Abilene, TX. This way of life is intentional, habitual, and daily. This way of life is radical. This way of life is communal. This way of life must be modeled if we really want our children to be spiritual champions.
Camp Eagle, LTC, and Summit all have their place and space within our way of life, but they must not be the only time we experience the way of life described in Acts. My favorite part of LTC is not the actual event itself, but the preparation leading up to the gathering. For weeks, beginning in January, children and parents meet for study, training, and rehearsals to participate in the main event. During those three to four months, there is a cadence that echoes through our upstairs hall every Sunday afternoon. Families share spiritual gifts, snacks, and time. If I were to encourage parents and children to participate in Leadership Training for Christ, I would not encourage them only for the sake of staying in a fancy hotel on Easter weekend to race from one event to the next event for competition, but I would say, “Come, participate, because LTC Sundays reflect the generous hearts and sharing of time more than any other time in our Singing Oaks Calendar.”
May our faith family be more intentionally cultivating habits full of the Holy Spirit in every action, thought, and word. May our hearts be generous, full of grace, and may our community of believers grow.
