Foundations
Monday, August 4, 2008 -- Week of Proper 13
Today's Reading for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 979)
Psalms 80 (morning) 77, [79] (evening)
Judges 6:25-40
Acts 2:37-47
John 1:1-18
It is delightful to read the end of Acts 2 on the day after celebrating the sacrament of Baptism. "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him."
Baptism is our ritual of identity, accomplishing full inclusion into the Church, the Body of Christ. In baptism we are born anew. Paul says of baptism, that the old self drowns in the waters of baptism, and there, Christ unites himself to us in his death. We emerge from the water as new beings, united with Christ and filled with God's Holy Spirit. "This is my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased."
The phrase from Acts 2:42 is incorporated into our Baptismal Covenant: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." We promise in our Baptismal Covenant (Book of Common Prayer, p. 304) to do just that. We continue to pass along the teaching we have been given from the apostles; we continue to live in the community of fellowship they created; we continue the eucharistic feast, knowing Christ in the breaking of the bread; we continue in the daily prayers, many through the practice of the Daily Office (Morning and/or Evening Prayer).
So much of this latter half of Acts 2 is foundational to subsequent Christian orthodoxy and practice. Verse 33 is a key passage in our understanding of God as Trinity: "[Jesus] Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear." Baptism, eucharist, fellowship, prayers... This is a section that speaks of some characteristic building blocks of the church.
But there is a fascinating verse right in the middle of this that seems to stand out because it is such a contrast to our traditional practice and teaching. "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." Now, that is a fundamental statement. It is a statement about communal economics. Apparently the early church practiced a form of communal property. (Acts 4:32-37 elaborates on this practice. In chapter 5 we have the story of Ananias and Sapphira who violated the practice.)
We have traditions of communal economic living that persist throughout Christian history, especially among the monastic communities. The early period of the Puritan's settlement at Plymouth was marked by a communist-style system, which they abandoned because of lack of production and general discontent.
Marx and Engels raised elements of this tradition to an economic theory. Early Communism had significant Christian participation, many who referenced these verses as authoritative.
Various theories of Christian socialism have had considerable strength and influence, particularly in parts of Europe and Latin America. The Latin American base communities are a specifically Christian development for the practice of community, and they have incorporated many communal practices and ideals. The liberation theology movement that has emerged from these communities is a significant contribution to contemporary Christian thought and practice in the pursuit of social justice.
How different might our Christian history have been had Acts 2:44-45 been as central to Christian identity as the rest of the chapter has been? What if "distribution to any who have need" were as foundational as baptism; what if aversion to economic inequalities were as central as eucharist? It's fascinating to ponder.
Lowell
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Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: Morning Reflection Podcasts
About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.
Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html
The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.
Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org
Our Rule of Life
Lowell Grisham, Rector
Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: Morning Reflection Podcasts
About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.
Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html
The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.
Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org
Our Rule of Life
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.
Lowell Grisham, Rector
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
posted by Lowell @ 8:31 AM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Now that's radical. I can't quite understand some peoples' disparaging of the Millennium Development Goals as not being part of our Christian mission. Once again, it seems that those who say they pay attention to all of scripture are happy to ignore or explain away the parts they don't like! I really struggle with passages like this. It seems to me that this is the real heart of the Christian life, and yet I won't give up my cable television and go out among those who have nothing. I think the most Christian people in the world are those who go out among those who need help, whether they profess to be Christians or not.
For me, at least, in my busy life, your morning reflections are what I do for my daily office. Thanks again for your commitment to these morning reflections. They really enrich my life.
Is this a defense of Communism?
Oh, how I long for the good old days in the Gulag.
R.I.P. Alexander Solzenitzen 11/12/1918-0/08/2008
The disaster of communism has more to to do with the flaws of human beings than anything else. As we learn time and time again, the best intentions of human beings almost always go awry when power is in play. And it is very difficult to sustain a communal model across society without some sort of a power structure coming into play. As soon as this happens, the original intentions go off into the ether. This should not put us off of attempting to follow the early church, but is a warning that the model must be based on God, not human beings. Obviously no one has gotten it right for very long, or the world would look much different!
Now U.P., you've read me long enough to know I wouldn't justify something oppressive and violent as the Communist governments that arose in the 20th century. Cheap shot, friend.
But I am pointing out that the early church made a form of communal economics a part of its lifestyle and practice. The early Christians saw that way of life as being consistent with what they had learned from Jesus.
I think we could benefit from some discussion about what kind of economic practices might be most consistent with the Spirit of Jesus. We don't talk about that very much.
I think it is an uncomfortable truth that some form of communal economy has stronger support in the New Testament than an unregulated free market does. You don't hear that very much from those who otherwise tend to project Biblical values into the public sphere. (including me)
Lowell
Uncomfortable truths are the best ones to explore.
Absolutely, UP.
And thanks for the memory for Solzeniztin. I just saw his obituary in the paper. It didn't catch my attention in your blog that he had died. A giant of a man.
Lowell
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