Sunday, April 13, 2008

Forty Years Ago --

From the Revised Common Lectionary for Sunday April 13, 2008

Acts 2:42-47

Those who had been baptized devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs 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 in the temple, 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.

The year: 1968, a Sunday in Springtime. The place: my grandparents' church in a small Southern town. They are Bible-thumping, no dancing, no cards, no alcohol, country Methodists. I am eight years old, busily cutting pictures from magazines and gluing them to manila paper to illustrate the Bible story. Excited by the idea that the early Christians banded together to share what they owned with whoever needed it, I ask the Sunday School teacher why we can't do that, why we can't just share everything, rich and poor people, white and black people together. Jesus would like that, right? All the people eating their food with glad and generous hearts would be great, wouldn't it?

This is the first time I hear the word Communist. . .

8 comments:

The Vicar of Hogsmeade said...

holy shit

on the one hand, I find it almost unbelievable, on the other, I'm pretty sure I tried to be a pastor there

Mary Beth said...

Gross.

Just goes to show what influence we have every single day, on every person we meet.

however, they did not get you! Mwa ha ha!

Rev Dr Mom said...

As startling as your experience is, I bet it wasn't uncommon with regards to this passage. Even people who want to take the bible literally work really hard to explain away this passage and the one like it in Acts 4.

I wish we would take this idea much more seriously though.

DogBlogger said...

Wow.

Unknown said...

Sheesh.

will smama said...

Lord, hear our prayer...

St. Casserole said...

I wondered about this when I was a little kid, too.

Sheesh

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