I Will, With God’s Help
“Those who accepted [Jesus’] message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.”
Acts 2:41-42, NIV
We recently (finally!) organized and witnessed our daughter, Poppy, being baptized in St. Martin’s Family Table service; it was a beautiful and profound day. I was so grateful that we have found ourselves at St. Martin’s and that so many of my beloved colleagues and Parishioners have become not only friends, but our family as we navigate life here, 6,000 miles from our former home and most of our relatives.
A week later, I found myself preparing to preach and this is one of the verses published in the lectionary. As we renewed our baptismal vows together as a church family a few weeks ago, it was this commitment that stood out to me. The second generation of disciples did not just read the teachings and try their best to follow God but was utterly devoted to Him.
I am in the fortuitous position of being financially recompensed to devote myself to my St. Martin’s family — both my duty and my joy! Here though, not just for the Clergy, we find the importance of community, learning, and breaking bread together is worthy of not just our time or our prioritizing, but our devotion.
As we reflect on this passage, I pray that we might be challenged to examine our lives and ask ourselves if we are truly devoted to these practices. Are we actively seeking out opportunities to learn and grow in our faith? Are we engaged in meaningful relationships with other believers, and are we using these connections to serve and support one another? Are we regularly engaging in prayer and spiritual disciplines to deepen our relationship with God?
The challenge for us as believers is to actively prioritize these practices in our lives, even when they may be difficult or inconvenient. We must be intentional about creating space for learning, fellowship, and prayer in our busy schedules, and we must cultivate a heart that is open to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
May we be a community of believers that is devoted to these practices: renewing daily our baptismal covenant in our actions so that we grow closer to Jesus and encourage one another in our life of faith.
