Acts 2:42 (NRSV) They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Talk to people about church these days and they will talk about the music program, the youth program, the preacher and sundry other related topics but rarely do they mention 'devotion'. It's a word that means “Ardent, often selfless affection and dedication, as to a person or principle” or “Religious ardor or zeal; piety.” It's a ancient demonstration of religious life that has sadly fallen from use and favor in a world run by clock and schedule. We have a 'busy' religion as if 'busy' makes us better or at very least, less likely to sin!
The early church was much more organic in nature and simpler in practice. It maintained its life by merely focusing on the kernel of the Gospel, proclaimed by the witnesses of it. By hanging with those who possessed the genuine life of Christ, they sustained their own. We on the other hand seem to run from fellowship rather than embrace it, maybe afraid to let our lives be seen in the light of His true Body – the Church.
The breaking of the bread, of course, spoke of the practice of remembering Christ's death in what became the Eucharist, but it also spoke of community fashioned by those willing to sit down together at the same table. The prayers of the saints together further established and fostered that sense of one body, sharing in the one bread and together liturgizing before the Father, letting their requests be made known – I doubt there was such a thing as an 'unspoken ' request in those days!
Which brings me to my central point – that of a move towards simplification. I have a desire to strip away those things that are merely accepted practice, but maybe non-essential in our effort to see God's Kingdom come. You see, the passage from Acts goes on to remind us that during this time, people were being added 'daily' to this wonderful entity called the 'church'. Unfortunately as I look around, I rarely see signs of that kind of growth. Even more striking is the number of people who are exiting the church, for various reasons – one of the main one's being its lack of relevance and responsiveness to people's everyday lives.
Maybe it's time for a return to devotion and a reformation that renews the simplicity of true koinonia (fellowship) that allows people to embrace Jesus for reasons other than making me too busy for sin but too tired for service. In light of that I am glad that groups such as Mission Mississippi promote the coming together of Pastors, lay people and business people in their effort to change Mississippi – One relationship at a time! It's a concrete answer to a complex problem and a simpler solution than most that have been espoused by church growth experts and missiologists. It's one however that I feel is right in line with Acts 2:42.
