The Fourth Sunday of Easter 2023

This week we get a glimpse into the life of the early Church as recorded in the book of Acts.  Luke tells us that the rhythm of the early church’s life included a commitment to the teaching of the apostles, to koinonia or fellowship, to the breaking of bread in the common meal, and to prayer.  In addition, Luke tells us that they had all things in common, their hearts were united in their love for God, for one another, and for their neighbors, and they combined their resources so that each person’s needs were met.  And day by day, God added to their number.  Friends, the world will be convinced of the truthfulness of Easter not by the forcefulness of our argument or our preaching about Easter, not by how rigidly we adhere to and enforce a set of beliefs, but by the witness of our life together, by how we live together as a resurrected, Easter people.  Worship and ethics go hand in hand – what we do on Sunday and how we live Monday through Saturday must be intimately related otherwise our worship is little more than empty piety.  However, when worship informs life, the church grows and thrives, and our neighbors experience new and abundant life.