Pastor’s Note

Devoted Community

Acts 2:42-47

            At the end of Acts 2, we are given a beautiful glimpse of the early church in its most vibrant form. The early church was simply devoted to four things: to the Word of God, to fellowship, to shared meals, and to prayer. This devotion was not casual or occasional, but a way of life rooted in Christ that led to amazing results. One thing that is important to note about the early church was that they were not devoted to results. God’s gathering of people, the church, was just devoted to God and then God took over from there. Out of that shared life grew a community marked by generosity, joy, and a deep sense of belonging.

At the heart of this passage is a truth we still need today, that faith is not meant to be lived alone. When we open our lives to God and to one another, we discover that community is not simply something we join, like a gym or sports league, but rather it is something God is forming among us. Belonging in Christ means finding our place at the table, contributing to the life of the body, and receiving the grace that flows through others.

My prayer is that we would hear this text as both a description and an invitation. It describes the Spirit-shaped life of the early church, but it also invites us to renew our own devotion to God and to one another. This is the kind of church that I want our church to be. My prayer is that we would walk in step with the early church and that First United Methodist Church of Plant City would be the kind of church that is devoted to God’s Word, God’s people, God’s provision, and God’s presence. May it be so.