Friday, 6th Week of Ordinary Time

The highlight of today's reading from Acts is verse 42. Earlier this year, I spent several days on these "Four Marks of the Church": Sharing in the Apostles' Teaching and Fellowship, the Breaking of Bread and the Prayers. They were the marks of the Church then, and whenever we renew Baptismal Covenant with God, we claim them as our own. I recommend reacquainting yourselves with them.

Today, we also see what might be called the Fifth Mark, at least of the early church: "And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need" (v.45). This mark is based on the foundation of the earlier marks. A church that listens to the teaching of Jesus, shares life together as a family, relives the saving acts of Jesus, and spends time on their relationship with God, will be a people who know that everything they have is a gift from God, not a personal possession, and is to be shared.

This is not a political platform. Politics is about the use of power to make someone else do what you want them to do. Whether the power is exercised by one person or 50 million persons, it is still the art of getting someone else to do what you want them do. There is no coercion in the Church. The Twelve did not decree the sharing of possessions. The people did it out of gratitude and trust in God to provide the most enduring comfort of life -- love.

How well do we at Christ Church live out this fifth mark?