This week’s reflections are written by Rev. Brian Johnston, one of our Associate Pastors here at St. Matthew’s

Rooted 2019 – Week Fifteen Day Five

Today’s reading is Acts 4: 32-37

The believers were now of one heart and mind.  God’s grace helped transform this group of earlier believers to pull together their resources and give to those in the community that were in need.  They recognized the spiritual authority of the apostles and would they down their money before them. We are given an account of a Levite named Joseph who sells his property and gives it to the apostles.  This man gets a new name, Barnabas. We know Barnabas. This is the guy that travels with Paul and serves as the link between Paul and the apostles in Jerusalem.

We see that transformation is possible through the grace that is offered to us.  Grace given to a group of believers can inspire them to offer that very same thing to the outside world. We all act in one accord when grace is in the picture.  Too often we get caught up in our individual lifestyles and what is happening in our own personal world. It happens to all of us, however we need to turn our focus to the community we belong to.  We need to tap into that grace offered to all. Our focus should be reaching out and not reaching in. I believe the mission statement at St. Matthew’s reflects what this passage is trying to teach us.  “We are a FAMILY of faith REACHING OUT to share the life changing love and GRACE of Jesus”. May we live into that mission today.

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