Don Friesen
Gaius Plinius Secundus, more commonly known as Pliny The Elder (23?-79), was born about a decade before Jesus died. He was a Roman writer and the foremost authority on science in ancient Europe, with many historical and scientific works to his credit, including a 20-book history of the Germanic Wars and thirty-one books of Roman history. His encyclopaedia of nature and art in thirty-seven books (Historia Naturalis) contains 20,000 facts, extracted from about 2,000 volumes, and includes facts on astronomy, geography, ethnology, anthropology, physiology, zoology, botany, horticulture, medicine, metallurgy, as well as the fine arts! An ambitious and curious fellow! Unfortunately, so devoted was he to science that when Vesuvius erupted and destroyed Pompeii, Pliny, very eager to examine the volcanic phenomenon, sailed too close to the eruption and was suffocated by its vapours.
One of the stories told by Pliny is the story of a king who ordered a huge obelisk set into place. Twenty thousand workers were needed to pull on the ropes and hoist the obelisk into place. It was a very risky operation; one error, and the obelisk could fall, ruining years of work. The King wanted the chief engineer's heart as well as his head engaged in the task, and so he ordered the engineer's own son to be strapped to the apex of the obelisk, thus ensuring the engineer's devotion to the task at hand!
The Exemplary Devotion of the Early Christians
Our reading from the New Testament Book of Acts reveals a depth of devotion as well, though in this case it is devotion freely offered, and freely given. The New Testament reveals the imprint of the Early Church and provides us with many glimpses of how the first followers of Jesus banded together as a group, but one of the more attractive and compelling passages, for me, is the simple description of the first church in Jerusalem, found in Acts, chapter 2. Acts tells us that the members of this church "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." (Acts 2:42)
It's quite amazing, when you consider that in Luke's telling of the Gospel story there is little to warrant this depth of mutual devotion. In the closing chapters of the Gospel of Luke the followers of Jesus are marked, not by devotion, but by desertion, denial, and doubt! Desertion by the duplicitous Judas. Denial by the mercurial Simon Peter. Doubt by the tentative Thomas. Consider that even after the Risen Christ met with the disciples, some of his followers were still wandering about (Luke 24:13-32), bemoaning his demise, and plaintively sharing with a stranger walking alongside them, "...we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel." (24:21)
The word, "devoted," is not the first word that springs to mind when you consider the behaviour of the disciples at the end of Luke's Gospel. "Cowardly," perhaps. "Cautious". "Disloyal," "fearful". But an incredible transformation took place among them as the Risen Christ touched their lives, and transformed not only individuals, but the group! The group of disciples was barely hanging together after the crucifixion, yet in Acts, chapter 2, their group spirit has changed drastically! "Awe came upon everyone," records Luke. "Wonders ...were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together..., they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved." (Acts 2:43-47)
An amazing turn-about! An incredible depth of devotion! And while Christians have often tried to dismiss the depth of sharing and common life evident in this passage, the congregational profile in Acts 2 stands as a template for all congregational efforts since! Some may dismiss it as an isolated example of short-lived enthusiasm, but the exemplary devotion of the disciples is remarked upon again in Acts, chapter 4, where Luke writes, "...the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold, ...laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need." (Acts 4:32-35)
One might have expected that this depth of devotion to the group might dissipate with opposition, which set in rather quickly (4:1-22), but the group prayed for boldness (4:23-31), and the steadfastness of their devotion withstood a series of challenges to it. The word, "devoted," is not restricted to the Acts 2 experience. Later in Acts, Luke mentions a disciple in Joppa named Tabitha, otherwise known as Dorcas, who was "devoted to good works and acts of charity". (Acts 9:36) The Apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthian congregation, cites a particular household whose members "devoted themselves to the service of the saints...." (1 Corinthians 16:15) Or, as another translation renders it, these believers "...have laid themselves out to serve God's people." (16:15-16, NEB) Paul acknowledges their devotion, and indeed, "everyone," he says, who labours hard at our common task." (16:15-16, NEB)
There are numerous other injunctions to devotion in the New Testament. We are to "devote (ourselves) to prayer". (Colossians 4:2) We are encouraged to "devote" ourselves to the activities of the Church. (1 Timothy 4:13-15) Those who "devote" themselves to "doing good in every way" are commended. (1 Timothy 5:10) The New Testament wants new believers to take care "to devote themselves to good works; these things," says the New Testament, "are excellent and profitable to everyone." (Titus 3:8) "Let people learn to devote themselves to good works," it reads, "in order to meet urgent needs...." (Titus 3:14)
Divided Devotion?!?
Most of us, however, have a number of things to which we're devoted, and in an age in which our lives take place in as many different compartments, it's not always easy to integrate our various objects of devotion. I wonder if, as in the Jesus' Parable of the Seeds, or Soils (Matthew 13:3-9), there might not be different levels or degrees of devotion. And if so, one could paraphrase the Acts 2 passage to reflect the appropriate degree of devotion. What if our Acts passage was re-written to match the devotion of some church members? For example, the Revised Version according to Jealous Christians might read:
Luke tells us that the early Christians were devoted to the Church--they devoted themselves to the Church's apostolic teaching. They devoted themselves to the fellowship of the Church. They devoted themselves to the breaking of bread. They devoted themselves to prayer. It seems to be difficult, however, to replicate such single-minded devotion in our day. There are many factors that dissipate devotion, and they're not necessarily borne of ill-tempered church members. Modern transience, for example, can make the development of church body life very difficult. I remember how the fortunes of the Thompson United Mennonite Church in northern Manitoba rose and fell with the international price of nickel. Mike Thoburn, pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Sydney, Nova Scotia, who has seen his congregation's fortunes rise and fall with the local economy, said recently, "I lost nine piano players in one year!" (ChristianWeek, April 16, 2002, page 8) I can remember a summer in our own congregational life when we lost seventeen households to other places. We should probably change our name to the Soggy Bottom Mennonite Church, because each time two new people begin to affiliate with us, one more drops out the bottom! Sometimes I wonder what size of church we'd be building if all those who have affiliated with OMC over the years, and cherished our life together, would have stayed!
I recognize there is little one can do about such social trends, but I also commend those who over the years have resisted promotions and transfers because of their devotion to their families and to this church.
Another factor that dissipates devotion is diversity. Despite the much vaunted "richness of diversity," the truth is that it's much harder to build The Diversified Mennonite Church than it is to build The Homogenous Mennonite Church. It's much more interesting, but it's not easy trying to transcend stubborn ecclesiastic mind-sets. I heard of a mythical Mennonite Church much like ours which was worshipping one Sunday when a fire broke out in the foyer. Understandably, there was a lot of confusion as everyone in the sanctuary did what came naturally to their respective church backgrounds. The Lutherans posted a notice on the church door declaring that the fire was evil. The Presbyterians appointed a chairperson to appoint a committee to look into the matter and make a written report. The Baptists cried out, "Where's the water?" The Fundamentalists proclaimed, "It's the vengeance of God." The Episcopalians formed a procession and marched out. The Christian Scientists concluded that there was no real fire. The Plymouth Brethren gathered in the corner to pray, and to discern who could and who could not be in their prayer group. The Assemblies of God people wanted footage of the fire to put on their next televangelist show. The Quakers quietly praised God for the inner light in every fire. The Roman Catholics called Rome to see if a there was a papal encyclical for occasions like this. The Charismatics were waving their hands in the air, which had the inadvertent effect of fanning the flames, and the Mennonites were initially mistaken for Charismatics because they were speaking in a tongue only they could understand!
All humour and stereotypes aside, I know that the devotion expressed in our own congregational life is genuine devotion. It may not be as deep as one might wish, but it's genuine! We're here because we want to be. If a person is content with an irregular and half-hearted devotion, he or she is free to express that. There is little pressure here to do otherwise, save that within our own hearts. Nonetheless, the New Testament example challenges us. Luke says that the early Christians "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and ...prayers." (Acts 2:42) The word Luke uses to describe the first Christians in Jerusalem means "to be steadfastly attentive unto, to give unremitting care to a thing," and "to persevere". (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible) It also means "to adhere," conjuring up a Red Green image; perhaps the first believers were more like duct tape than some old, dry masking tape which is quick to lose its properties of adherence.
I'm not surprised that Luke used such a word to describe the ability of the early believers to "stick together," for Jesus himself put the matter of devotion in sharp relief when he said, "No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other." (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13) According to Jesus, divided devotion is an oxymoron! There's no such thing as a part-time devotee! Jesus' understanding of devotion was shaped, no doubt, by the prayer he prayed daily: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might." (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, RSV)
Luciano Pavarotti says that when he was a boy, his father, a baker, introduced him to the wonders of song, and urged him to work hard to develop his voice. Pavarotti took his father's advice, but he also enrolled in a teachers' college, and upon graduation he asked his father, "Shall I be a teacher or a singer?" "Luciano," his father replied, ‘if you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair." Pavarotti says, "I chose one. It took seven years of study and frustration before I made my first professional appearance. It took another seven to reach the Metropolitan Opera. And now I think whether it's laying bricks, writing a book--whatever we choose--we should give ourselves to it."
Devoted to the Common Life
It might be helpful to look at the various elements of the early Christian experience, and take a measure of our own devotion by it. Luke tells us, firstly, that they "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching...." These were people who wanted to know what Jesus taught. They wanted to know because they were willing to let it inform their own world view. The listened to the apostles because they wanted to learn all they could from those who had been with Jesus. They probably peppered the apostles with questions: "What did Jesus say about this? What did Jesus say about that? What would he want us to do in this situation?" They were eager to conform their understanding and common life to the teaching of Jesus.
Their example challenges us: How eager are we to conform our understanding to the teaching of Jesus? Or do we find ourselves trying to conform the gospel to our world-view? As if the gospel is not eternal truth but simply a point-of-view that has to pass our tests of truth and authenticity?
Secondly, Luke tells us that the early Christians "devoted themselves to...fellowship...." Luke uses the word, "koinonia," a Greek word that means "fellowship," but a depth of fellowship that goes far beyond "Coffee and Conversation" every three weeks! The word, "koinonia" assumes a common life that is not at all commonplace! It assumes an intentionality that will last a little longer than our first skirmish with fellow believers, after which we ride off in our huff-mobiles. It implies a depth of economic sharing that puts all of us to shame! It assumes a depth of community that is hard to achieve in a modern, urban setting, but the vision of which sustains many of us and is our reason for trying again, and again, and again.
I don't think Jesus ever intended his followers to form but a loose confederation of "lone rangers". The New Testament's body imagery and language assumes something far more intimate and interconnected. The close congregational life revealed in Acts, chapter 2, also challenges us: How eager are we to put aside our own ideas and convictions and listen to the collective wisdom of our brothers and sisters?
I remember being deeply moved by the example of Thomas Merton, a modern monk deeply committed to peace, but who stopped writing for the cause of peace when ordered to do so by his Trappist superior. His decision to obey the wishes of his superior was far more than submission to authority; it was based on the deep conviction that it is through the Christian community that God speaks and leads, and so one's personal discernment has to be tested against the community's discernment, which is more than many of us can swallow.
Thirdly, Luke tells us that these first believers "devoted themselves to the breaking of bread...." No doubt Luke is referring to their central act of worship--the Lord's Supper--when they remembered what Christ had done for them in his death and resurrection, and took courage in his example. Far from being a perfunctory act of worship, or an individual act of piety, it symbolized the centrality of Jesus to their common life, and their commitment to carry on his work and be his body.
Fourthly, Luke tells us that the New Testament believers "devoted themselves to ...prayers." If the Lord's Supper reminded the believers of the grace of God, prayer reminded them that of their utter dependence on God. Without prayer, the Christian community soon finds itself leaning on its own understanding and ingenuity, and while that may be impressive in some cases, ultimately it's sheer foolishness!
Once again, to cite the example of Thomas Merton: he was once showing a class of Baptist divinity students around the Abbey where he lived. The students were unaware of his identity since at the Abbey Merton was simply known as Father Louis. He answered the students' questions about monastic life, and one of the students, impressed by Merton's answers, finally asked him, "What's a smart guy like you doing holed up in a place like this?" To which Merton replied: "I believe in the power of intercessory prayer."
The early believers "devoted themselves to ...prayers," and their example once again challenges us: Is prayer and submission to God a constant practice in our lives? Do we uphold each other in prayer? How often do you pray for our Sunday School teachers? How often do you pray for the Worship Committee? How often do you pray for the choir? And for its director? How often do you pray for the Building Committee, as it struggles to get through the mammoth task of providing us with a house of worship? How often do you pray for the deacons? They pray for you--regularly!
These elements of our common life--study, worship, and prayer--are at the core of who we are as Christians, yet how often we neglect them, or even they become points of contention among us.
I've told the story before of William Willimon taking his first pastorate in rural Georgia, but it's a good story, and it teaches us not to jump to conclusions about churches, including our own! Willimon arrived at his first charge only to find a large chain and padlock on the front door, put there, he was told, by the local sheriff. Why? "Well," said one member to Willimon, "things got out of hand at the board meeting last month, folks started ripping up carpet, and dragging out the pews they had given in memory of their mothers. It got so bad the sheriff came out here and put that there lock on the door until our new preacher could come and settle things down."
Willimon was fresh out of seminary, eager to be a good pastor, but he found himself wishing he were elsewhere. He said, "I spent a year there that lasted a lifetime. I tried everything. I worked, planned, offered, but the response was always disappointing. The arguments, the pettiness, the fights in the parking lot after the board meeting were more than I could take. It was tough and I was glad to...leave them behind." "You call yourself a church!" he'd mutter to himself.
Several years later Willimon ran into a young man who was now the pastor of that church. Willimon's heart went out to him, but, said the young man, "They still remember you out there."
"Yea," said Willimon, glumly, "I remember them too."
"Remarkable bunch of people," he said.
"Remarkable," said Willimon.
"Their ministry to the community has been a wonder," continued the young man. "That little church is now supporting, in one way or another, more than a dozen of the troubled families around the church. The free day-care centre they established is going great. And also, as you know, there's not too many interracial congregations in North Georgia."
Willimon could hardly believe his ears. "What happened?" he asked. "I don't know," said the young man. "One Sunday, things just sort of came together. It wasn't anything in particular. It's just that, when the service was done, and we were on our way out, we knew that Jesus loved us and had plans for us. Things fairly much took off after that." (Willimon, "You Call This A Church?")
It's amazing the changes that take place when the loving and reassuring presence of the Risen Christ enters our hearts. How else does one explain a bickering church turning a corner like that? How else does one explain being filled with forgiveness for someone who has hurt you deeply? How else does one explain the reconstruction of trust after years of distrust and anger?
Says Willimon, upon reflection, "I'll tell you what I think happened. I think that church got intruded upon. I think someone greater than I knocked the lock off that door, kicked it open and offered them peace, the Holy Spirit, mission and forgiveness. And now, they are called ‘church'."
May the Risen Christ and his Holy Spirit intrude upon our common life, that we might be a body worthy of his name.
¶ The believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 But jealousy came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles, and many wondered what made them so special. 44 All who believed were together initially, and had some things in common; 45 but they soon took back their possessions, and if any had need, well, that was their own fault. 46 Day by day they began spending less and less time together, rarely invited anyone over to break bread in their homes, and ate their food with a resentful spirit, 47 still praising God but caring not one whit about the goodwill of the people, or the credibility of their group! And day by day the Lord tried to add to their number, but newcomers did not feel welcome.
Or perhaps you'd prefer the Revised Version according to Marginal Mennonites; let me read you an extract, fresh off the printing press--yesterday!
¶ The sons and daughters of Menno devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers, for a while, at least, until they had a disagreement. 43 A fractious spirit came upon everyone, and few wonders and signs were done. 44 All who believed would gather together every five years, but they had little in common; 45 they would hoard their possessions and goods and RRSPs and distribute the proceeds to their own children, whether or not they had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in retirement seminars, they broke bread at home and ate their food with cautious hearts, 47 praising God but wanting to cover their middle-class butts as well. And they too cared not one whit about the goodwill of the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved, but the new believers were largely ignored by those who should have been busy welcoming them, and just generally offering Christ-like hospitality.
I uncovered several other new translations yesterday, but I doubt you'd be interested in hearing more. One of them is the Revised Version according to Christian Idealists Who Got Tired of Fellow Believers Who Disagreed with Them. Another, more punchy version, is the Revised Version according to Christians Embittered by Those who Disagree with Them. Then there is one that originally had the title, The Standard Version for Significant Christians Living in a Superficial Age, but it didn't sell well until its title was changed to The Sub-standard Version for Superficial Christians Living in a Significant Age.
All quotations of Scripture, unless otherwise noted, are from the New Revised Standard Version.