“Houses of Acts” - The Hospitality Root of Flourishing Christian Life
The early church showed such inspiring health and impact in the Book of Acts even though –– or maybe because –– it lacked what some Christian leaders seem to value today. We need to rediscover our ancient roots in these basics to flourish similarly.
Years ago, I was sitting with a pastor of a large church in the San Francisco Bay Area who shared his A-B-Cs for “success” in ministry, namely to accumulate: Attendance, Buildings, and Capital.
What a failure the humble, local, organic, and messy early church was, according to this common American standard!
Reforming and remembering
It reminds me of the story retold by G.K. Chesterton of when St. Francis of Assisi visited the pope in Rome, who proudly showed him the staggering wealth of the Vatican. The pope pointed to the treasures and said, “Peter can no longer say ‘Silver and gold have I none,” referencing the Book of Acts where Peter tells a beggar in Jerusalem that he had no money. St. Francis responded: “Neither can he say, ‘Rise up and walk,” as Peter then healed that crippled man.
It evokes a question: what do we value differently than the early church, and how is that affecting us?
As John Maxwell says, “Your core values are the deeply held beliefs that authentically describe your soul.”
The soul of the early church is similarly described by what they valued, and what the church today must value too, if we desire to be able to also hear the Savior say to us, “rise up and walk,” much less offer healing to others.
Values of the early church
In Acts 2:42-46, we see the church devoted themselves to four simple things:
The Apostles’ teaching, accompanied by the supernatural
Fellowship and breaking of bread
Prayer and praise
Radical generosity
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. A sense of awe came over everyone, and the apostles performed many wonders and signs. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they shared with anyone who was in need. With one accord they continued to meet daily in the temple courts and to break bread from house to house, sharing their meals with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
How the early church expressed its values
The early church met home to home, or in open air public spaces like the temple courts in Jerusalem.
Its gatherings were more commonly around the kitchen table than around a pulpit, for a simple communal meal of bread and wine. This “breaking bread” was both family supper and the Lord’s Supper of communion.
At that kitchen table, master and slave, child and adult, female and male, rich and poor, and every race, all drank from the same cup and realized their shared value in Jesus Christ.
The Apostles’ teaching centered on the public proclamation of the Kingdom of God, demonstrated through signs and wonders. No lectures without practicum here. Imagine it! The whole region brought their sick and oppressed to these ragtag Christians, and “all of them were healed,” Acts 5:16.
And the early church’s practice of radical generosity, prayer, and praise became as natural as breathing in this context where they esteemed hospitality, fellowship and breaking of bread as highly as the Apostles’ teaching.
This humble church became a beacon of joyful right-living, radical generosity, evangelism, and everyday miracles, so much so that Luke has to tell us Stephen the Deacon was doing extraordinary miracles –– beyond normal everyday miracles.
Isn’t this what we want today? If so, it’s time to remember our roots and get back to basics.
