We Had A Good Night

Acts 2:46-47

I love when we have meals at church.  It does not matter to me if we are having a fish fry, potluck, or a catered meal, I like the time of food and fellowship.  I have had the opportunity to enjoy meals at churches in Canada, across the U.S., and in Costa Rica.  It does not matter where I am, or even how much of the language I understand, it is special! Not only is it special, it is Biblical.

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Acts 2:46-47

In the early days of the church, they prayed, they had a business meeting, they preached, people were saved, they had baptism and communion, but the chapter ends by telling us they liked each other.   It might seem a little strange that I word it that way, but believe me, that is not always the case.  When we get people of different ages, race, socioeconomic status, and whatever other background distinctions we may have, there is bound to be differences of opinions.  If we are not careful, that can lead to disagreements, or fights.

So, we have to ask ourselves, how did 3,000+ people in the first church not only worship together, but they also went to each other’s homes and enjoyed meals and conversation together?  The only way this was possible then, and is possible now, is our worship and prayer.  Though they had so many differences, they had Jesus in common.  Accomplishing His will, and loving who He loves, was more important than the differences they had.  As we will see, when those differences did become points of contention, it was their love of God, and wanting to do His will that helped them work through those differences.  So, Luke can write, “They continued daily in one accord”.  

God designed us to be social.  He also created us to not only need food, but to enjoy it.  Cultures all around the world like to put these two things together and be social over food. When it is done right, it is a beautiful thing.  We have holiday traditions that center around a table of food and talking to each other.  Even Jesus’s first miracle was performed at such an occasion.  As our world becomes more “me” focused, and we become more isolated, gathering around the table has become a lost practice for many.  Researchers are telling us now that we are not the better for this.  Depression and feelings of isolation and despair are skyrocketing.  Social media makes us more connected to more people, but not in a meaningful way.  We need real connections to real people.  It isn’t simply about fun, but it is about our wellbeing.  What better place to do this than in church!

Last night I had the opportunity to eat with a visitor to our church.  Through conversation, we discovered that he knew my father from high school.  This is a conversation that would have never taken place outside of a church setting.  I also had a fun time of laughing and sharing stories with my wife and two other ladies in our church.  Towards the end of the night two men came over and we laughed and shared experiences from recent days.  It was late when I got home, and there were still dishes to wash, but I was happy.  Then, I woke up this morning thinking about how much I enjoyed the night.  God knew what He was doing when He included this scripture in Acts 2.

Father, thank You for the privilege of food and fellowship.  It is such a blessing to be able to gather together for the purpose of sharing Your word, and to talk and laugh with others who have Your Spirit in them also.  We thank You for the unity we can share in You as well.  Help us to remember we need this because You designed us to to be in relationships with others.