Daily Bread

Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

I love this picture of Christian unity. Can you imagine a church where all its members were of one heart and soul? It kinda reminds me of the saying, "If you find a perfect church, don't join it, you'll only ruin it!" Joking aside, I doubt the church that is described here was perfect, but there is definitely something deeply attractive about a community living in harmony together and meeting each other's needs.

When the Book of Acts was written there was no universal healthcare and little provision for the needy, other than family and kindness, therefore what the church modelled was very special indeed, and it all stems from a right perspective on the property and things we own.

Everything we have in this world has been entrusted to us, and we are merely caretakers. Of course, we can pass property, wealth, and possessions on to our heirs, but the concept of 'ownership' in the strictest sense of the word is laughable. The world has been around for billions of years, and our existence is but a blip, so any sense of self-entitlement in the face of eternity is perhaps, to say the lease, a little arrogant.

The point is that we should strive to be good stewards of that which has been entrusted to us, including our homes. Pastor and theologian Bruce Milne expressed it like this:

"We should, however, not ignore the New Testament witness to the importance of the gift of hospitality. Even if not sold so as to increase our giving to God’s work, our homes and properties are not be hoarded as if 'only ours.' The Christian duty of hospitality is perhaps most clearly stated in 1 Peter 4:9: 'Practise hospitality ungrudgingly to one another,’ a reference which interestingly occurs in the context of teaching on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Thus we can never complain of the lack of a gift of the Spirit if we have been given a home into which we can welcome people."

I love that last line. Wow! We can never complain of the lack of the gift of the Spirit if we have been given a home into which we can welcome people. I wonder if we can extend that and never complain we are unable to do God's work if we have a mouth with which we can encourage someone or a pair of arms with which we can hug someone?

I digress! It is our hope — both mine and Helen's — that one day people will give to FAB church, not only to support our ministry and help us keep beans on the table, but for us to be able to draw on funds to help those in need in our little online community. And our long-term vision is to establish a FAB Retreat, a place where we can show Guests and Members hospitality, a place for respite of body and mind, and a place of healing and peace. Until then, we will simply use our gifts and talents as best we can to welcome, love, and support one another.

I can testify that when I have been in need, the members of FAB have supported me, and for that I am grateful. Perhaps, today, think about what you bring to FAB Church? For example, if you can type, you can pray and send messages of encouragement, or if you have a phone you can take photos that bless us, as we work together towards being a church of one heart and soul.

Holy God
Thank you for all you have
entrusted into my care.
May your Holy Spirit
show me how I can use
my wealth and possessions
to bless others,
especially those in need.