Daily Devotion, June 17, 2011 - The Fellowship of Believers

Acts 2:42
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

The Book of Acts records the birth of Christianity and its earliest history. Today's verse follows directly on the heels of the conversion of the 3,000 who witnessed the coming of the Holy Spirit to the apostles and Peter's testimony to Jesus being the Christ. It succinctly describes what these first Christians practiced and how they worshiped. I take great comfort in the fact that, over 2,000 years later, the church continues to follow in those first footsteps, exhorting us to read our Bibles, to fellowship with other Christians at church, to celebrate the Holy Eucharist in remembrance of Jesus' love and sacrifice, and, always and everywhere, to pray.

Through the years, I've met many people who espouse they are Christians, yet do not attend church except on Christmas and Easter. The might be Christians, but they are not practicing Christianity. From the earliest days, Christians gathered in communities to share the teachings, to hold one another accountable, and to worship, praise and pray together. Jesus didn't say He would be there when only one was present, but when two or three gathered in His name (Matthew 18:20). Fellowship is basic to the Christian faith.

Do you have a church home? Are you attending regularly? If not, why not? If you do, why not seek out a Christmas/Easter Christian to invite to your house of worship this Sunday? Help him or her experience the joy and affirmation found in the fellowship of believers.

Readings
Psalms 88 or 91, 92
1 Samuel 3:1-21
Acts 2:37-47
Luke 21:5-19