And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship,
to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Acts 2:42 ESV
to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Acts 2:42 ESV
Dear Friends,
Do you long for simplicity in your life? Many of us want things to be simple. We are constantly working on decluttering our life (physically, emotionally, and mentally) as we strive to find balance in life. In work and financial success, we seek the easiest route to what we want out of life. Some people are better at achieving simplicity than others. I know that in my life, I constantly am trying to simplify my life and house, yet instead I tend to find complete chaos. Honestly, I probably thrive best in the midst of chaos, but I find rest in the midst of simplicity. As I age, I do lean more towards a quieter, simpler life, and perhaps you do, too. Oh, I still have many goals and things I want to do in life! I am probably not slowing down anytime soon, but I am aiming to be more intentional about the things I do commit to whether it be family, personal life, church life, or professional life.
After the death of Christ, the early church began meeting together regularly. Still mostly Jewish, the followers of Christ would keep the Sabbath (our Saturday) and then meet together as Christians on the Lord’s Day (our Sunday). (They did not yet call themselves Christians, but, for the sake of this essay, I will.) When the Christians met, they “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship” as found in Acts 2:42 ESV. There was simplicity in the early church. There were only two primary aspects to their meetings: teaching and fellowship. First, the teachings of the Apostles were primarily passed through letters (such as the ones found in what we call the New Testament) as well as the four Gospels of Christ. They also continued to study the Jewish scriptures as well (what we know as the Old Testament). The biblical canon was not set in stone as we know it today, but these were the very same writings that they studied together and taught to one another. Second, the Christians were intentional about their fellowship. Fellowship is all about building relationships, and they did this in two very specific ways: the breaking of bread and prayer. The early church was a simple but very meaningful way of gathering together and living life under Christ. It was simple but intentional.
If we think about church in the 21st century, underneath all of the programming and various ministries, you can still find these basic elements of church. However, due to all of the creativity and innovation that we have access to, church is not always so simple. This is not a critique of those programs and ministries, but rather a longing for simplicity. Church gatherings are meant to be a time of simply being together with God and other believers for the purpose of glorifying God and growing in our relationships with Him and others. Many churches talk about the vertical (God and us) and horizontal (other people and us) relationships, or they simply boil down their mission statements to things like “Love God, Love People”. While that sounds simple, the reality is often much more complex. But again, we need to keep striving for simplicity, even in church. Years ago, someone once described simplicity to me this way: Love God, love people, and love your purpose, and all else would fall into place under that.
Simplicity, which is actually a spiritual discipline, can be achieved. Simplicity does not mean weak or a lack of depth. It simply means that one intentionally focuses on what is important in life and lets all the clutter fall away. There is an authenticity, a richness, and a deepness that can be found in a simple faith. At Agnus Dei Lutheran Orthodox Church, you will find a church that is simple: just God and people. We gather together for teaching and fellowship just as the early church did under the apostles. The teaching aspect takes several forms. We read the Bible together during the service as well as other gatherings or in private. We preach and teach the Bible through the spoken, prepared lessons of the sermons and Sunday school. We sing the Bible through our hymns and praise songs. We learn more about God and the Bible through other activities, such as book club. Teaching even occurs through informal conversations amongst fellow Christians. I call this “God Talk”, and it can occur with believers and non-believers alike at any time, in any place. Some of the best “God Talks” I have ever had have been with a friend over a cup of coffee.
Our fellowship strives to strengthen our relationships with God and others and reinforce the ideal of what it truly means to be a community. In society as a whole, we are losing that concept of community. Do you know your neighbors? Shamefully, I only know a handful of mine. Yet, there was a time when all the neighbors in a neighborhood knew each other and lived life together, supporting each other. Specifically, at Agnus Dei LOC, our fellowship consists of the same elements as the early church: breaking bread together, prayer, and friendship. The breaking of the bread can be seen during communion as well as eating together before Sunday school and other informal meals and gatherings. We pray together and for each other on a continual basis. We believe in the power of prayer. Finally, do not underestimate the importance of friendship. Spiritual friendship is another spiritual discipline. Without friendship, our fellowship would be meaningless. Christians need each other in this world.
Do you long for simplicity? Come on over and worship God with us. By following the example of the early church, we can intentionally meet together for teaching grounded in God’s Word and fellowship within community of authentic friendship, so that we can grow in our relationships with God and each other.
Until next we meet,
Pastor Jessi
Reminders:
June 30 – Habits of the Mind Book Club at The Sweet Palette at 1 pm
July 1 – Sunday Service at 9 am
Do you long for simplicity in your life? Many of us want things to be simple. We are constantly working on decluttering our life (physically, emotionally, and mentally) as we strive to find balance in life. In work and financial success, we seek the easiest route to what we want out of life. Some people are better at achieving simplicity than others. I know that in my life, I constantly am trying to simplify my life and house, yet instead I tend to find complete chaos. Honestly, I probably thrive best in the midst of chaos, but I find rest in the midst of simplicity. As I age, I do lean more towards a quieter, simpler life, and perhaps you do, too. Oh, I still have many goals and things I want to do in life! I am probably not slowing down anytime soon, but I am aiming to be more intentional about the things I do commit to whether it be family, personal life, church life, or professional life.
After the death of Christ, the early church began meeting together regularly. Still mostly Jewish, the followers of Christ would keep the Sabbath (our Saturday) and then meet together as Christians on the Lord’s Day (our Sunday). (They did not yet call themselves Christians, but, for the sake of this essay, I will.) When the Christians met, they “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship” as found in Acts 2:42 ESV. There was simplicity in the early church. There were only two primary aspects to their meetings: teaching and fellowship. First, the teachings of the Apostles were primarily passed through letters (such as the ones found in what we call the New Testament) as well as the four Gospels of Christ. They also continued to study the Jewish scriptures as well (what we know as the Old Testament). The biblical canon was not set in stone as we know it today, but these were the very same writings that they studied together and taught to one another. Second, the Christians were intentional about their fellowship. Fellowship is all about building relationships, and they did this in two very specific ways: the breaking of bread and prayer. The early church was a simple but very meaningful way of gathering together and living life under Christ. It was simple but intentional.
If we think about church in the 21st century, underneath all of the programming and various ministries, you can still find these basic elements of church. However, due to all of the creativity and innovation that we have access to, church is not always so simple. This is not a critique of those programs and ministries, but rather a longing for simplicity. Church gatherings are meant to be a time of simply being together with God and other believers for the purpose of glorifying God and growing in our relationships with Him and others. Many churches talk about the vertical (God and us) and horizontal (other people and us) relationships, or they simply boil down their mission statements to things like “Love God, Love People”. While that sounds simple, the reality is often much more complex. But again, we need to keep striving for simplicity, even in church. Years ago, someone once described simplicity to me this way: Love God, love people, and love your purpose, and all else would fall into place under that.
Simplicity, which is actually a spiritual discipline, can be achieved. Simplicity does not mean weak or a lack of depth. It simply means that one intentionally focuses on what is important in life and lets all the clutter fall away. There is an authenticity, a richness, and a deepness that can be found in a simple faith. At Agnus Dei Lutheran Orthodox Church, you will find a church that is simple: just God and people. We gather together for teaching and fellowship just as the early church did under the apostles. The teaching aspect takes several forms. We read the Bible together during the service as well as other gatherings or in private. We preach and teach the Bible through the spoken, prepared lessons of the sermons and Sunday school. We sing the Bible through our hymns and praise songs. We learn more about God and the Bible through other activities, such as book club. Teaching even occurs through informal conversations amongst fellow Christians. I call this “God Talk”, and it can occur with believers and non-believers alike at any time, in any place. Some of the best “God Talks” I have ever had have been with a friend over a cup of coffee.
Our fellowship strives to strengthen our relationships with God and others and reinforce the ideal of what it truly means to be a community. In society as a whole, we are losing that concept of community. Do you know your neighbors? Shamefully, I only know a handful of mine. Yet, there was a time when all the neighbors in a neighborhood knew each other and lived life together, supporting each other. Specifically, at Agnus Dei LOC, our fellowship consists of the same elements as the early church: breaking bread together, prayer, and friendship. The breaking of the bread can be seen during communion as well as eating together before Sunday school and other informal meals and gatherings. We pray together and for each other on a continual basis. We believe in the power of prayer. Finally, do not underestimate the importance of friendship. Spiritual friendship is another spiritual discipline. Without friendship, our fellowship would be meaningless. Christians need each other in this world.
Do you long for simplicity? Come on over and worship God with us. By following the example of the early church, we can intentionally meet together for teaching grounded in God’s Word and fellowship within community of authentic friendship, so that we can grow in our relationships with God and each other.
Until next we meet,
Pastor Jessi
Reminders:
June 30 – Habits of the Mind Book Club at The Sweet Palette at 1 pm
July 1 – Sunday Service at 9 am
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