Just a Glimpse

Anyone wanting to catch a glimpse of a Holy Spirit created and sustained sacred community needs look no further than the end of the second chapter of Acts.  When the wind ceased rushing and the tongues of fire disappeared, the sacred community begins to show itself.  It is characterized by preaching which called people to repentance.  This means that the saving power of Jesus on the cross was proclaimed in a convicting manner.  To read those words which Peter preached is to feel the fire and urgency of a message about sin and the need for heart transformation.  People did not wonder what Peter was trying to say.  It was clear.  It was direct.  It was to the point.

 

To move toward the end of the chapter is to read that the people of this new sacred community gave deliberate attention to the Jesus teaching offered by the Apostles.  They shared with one another in caring and supporting fellowship.  They showed a seriousness concerning Table gatherings.  And, they prayed.  (Acts 2:42)  And, as they practiced the discipline of selling personal possessions in order to care for the needs of the larger community, we see a church that cared about the needs of others.  (Acts 2:43-45)  One final thing which is seen throughout the account is the presence of strong and sure leadership.  In an environment which was full of threats, the leadership modeled boldness.

 

Maybe we do not always know how to get there as we ponder the question, "How do we create and sustain a sacred community in a secular world? but we certainly recognize it when we see it.  The sacred community empowered by the Spirit is not one that blends into the world, nor is it want that seeks to pacify it, but one that declares unashamedly and boldly the name of Jesus and the message for which He lived and died.