Last Wednesday was my last 'Archdeacon's Visitation' - the service at which churchwardens are 'admitted'. The Venerable Michael Everitt - a truly delightful man - took the service. His 'reflection' (a sort of sermon) was based on the following passage.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2: 42-47 (NIV)
That passage is at one and the same time, both my favourite bible passage and the one which frustrates me the most. It paints an amazingly simple picture of the early days of the 'church' - but, at the same time, it is (to my 21st century eyes at least) incredibly radical. There is a tendency to 'gloss over' this passage and try to 'rationalise' our lack of any effort to follow in the footsteps of that early fellowship in all sorts of ways.
But yet it sits there, silently shouting its challenge to us to 'dare to be different' - or more different than we already are. Dare we ignore it, or seek to find excuses for not following in the footsteps of those earliest believers? But how do we go about following it, in this modern age? It's a complex issue, but that shouldn't stop us.