Daily Devotional • June 20
A Reading from Acts 2:37-47
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” 40 And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
43 Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 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, 47 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.
Meditation
Jesus warns his disciples of the endurance that will be required of them in the coming trials they will have to face. He warns of prisons and persecution, punishment and death. This may call up images of martyrs enduring the threats of the kings of this world, carried out publicly in great halls or in grand colosseums. But before we can die for Christ, we must first live for him, and if we want to know what the fullness of endurance required to live in devotion to Christ looks like, we must look to the early Church. In the book of Acts, we see what this endurance entails: devoting ourselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship with other Christians, regular Communion, and corporate prayer. We must be willing to give our portion of time and treasure to the Church, and bring all of these practices into our homes.
Though these acts may not have the dramatic appeal worthy of great paintings or stirring songs, they are no less important in forming our hearts toward the endurance of which Christ spoke. Can we bear witness to the truth of the apostles’ (unpopular) teachings? Can we arrange our lives to attend church every Sunday? Can we accept less expensive lives so that we can give 10% of our incomes to our local church? Can we make time for those in our churches who are very much unlike ourselves? Can we bring these practices into our homes?
All of these actions are difficult, but they align with the endurance of the early Church. Living for Christ, no less than dying for him, requires endurance, and in the words of Christ, “by your endurance you will gain your lives.”
James Cornwell lives and teaches in the Hudson Valley with his wife Sarah and their six children.
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma
The Diocese of Nagpur – The Church of North India (United)
