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The Beauty of Dysfunction
“Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common” Acts 4:32
The realities accomplished by the early church were nothing short of miraculous and wonderful. Innumerable people found the life-changing hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that there was not one who was needy among them. This church, was being the church.
When we read the first few chapters of Acts it is so easy for us to get wrapped up in all of the oneness and family. We can get lost in the stories of community and the radical conversions of thousands of people. In fact, I love to read those early chapters and dream of what that would look like for Crossroads Church, for every church.
I think though, that there is sometimes a danger in the looking back. It is easy to over glorify what was happening. Easy to get lost in their past and forget about our present. Acts chapter 5 begins with a solemn word. “But…” In light of all that was happening for that church, this is going to be a turning point. Things were going to change. Now, they were going to have deacons and business meetings! (oh, you know it’s funny)
In looking at and studying this early family- this family of strength and support. This family of love and encouragement. This family of hope and joy. We easily forget that family is often times a messy thing. That family is dysfunctional. That family has times of disagreement.
We forget that the beauty of family is not what they look like when times are good, but how they live together in the times of bad.
Many of you who will read this belong to a church. Many of you may even be struggling with belonging in that church. If I could say one thing to you, I would say this, find the beauty in the dysfunction. Find God in the mess. Don’t give up. Don’t run away. Find the beauty. It’s there. Under all the meetings and drama. Beneath the financial struggles and differences of opinion, the beauty is there. The family is there.
What do you think? What does the family look like?
Who Are You Carrying?
Do you know that Finland host the global Wife Carrying Championship? I kid you not!
All I really have to say about that is…Wow.
I was studying for this Sunday’s message. A sermon from Acts 3 that I thought was completely baked and ready to go! Until I looked over the Scripture again. This is what it reads:
“And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate…”
When many of us read this story, the only people we see are Peter, John, and the lame beggar. I have so often missed those that carried him. I wonder who it was? Was it his family or friends, or just people who had sympathy on him? In the Jewish culture any ailment would have been seen as the cause of sin and at the least anyone seen with this many would have been given the stink eye if not outrightly judged.
And yet, there was a group of people who didn’t care. Day after day they carried him to the temple. In the face of ridicule and public shame they carried him. Knowing that Jesus, the man of miracles, had died and already ascended, they carried him. After years of continued support and possibly no end and reward in sight, they carried him.
Someone around you is hurting. Chances are they have been hurting for a very long time. It’s even possible that they are incapable of walking and making it to where they need to be. And all they are waiting on is someone who is willing, no matter the outcome, to carry them.
Who are you carrying?
