As I was reading in the Book of Acts this morning about the early church I was struck by the inclusive language that was being used. When the Holy Spirit is describing the life of the early church, the new covenant community, he is using words like everyone, all the believers, together, every day, anyone. The kingdom community that was birthed on the day of Pentecost was marked by togetherness and the sharing of a common life and belief. They were all carrying the same passion and love for the resurrected Lord and for one another. Their encounter with the risen Lord by the revelation of the Holy Spirit united them, knitted them together, and formed them into a dynamic community sharing everything.

These individuals from every nation under heaven didn’t have much in common before the day of Pentecost, but after encountering the Lord they had everything in common. What a change that took place. They used to be a bewildered crowd and some even used to be mocking and making fun of others, but the message about the risen Lord Jesus Christ cut to the heart and caused them to repent, believe, being baptised and being added to the ecclesia of the Lord. They used to speak so many different languages not understanding each other, but now they could understand and even speak the language of the Spirit.

After being added to the ecclesia of the Lord they devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles. They committed themselves to one another in a close day to day fellowship sharing everything together. They continued to break the bread of the new covenant meal, eating together from house to house with glad and sincere hearts. Constantly they were praying together, at regular times in the temple and at anytime anywhere they met with one another. They were all initiating this exciting and dynamic community life on a multitude of levels, sharing with anyone in need.

This was a everyday life of a group of people who had been born by the Spirit, filled by the Spirit and formed by the Spirit to be one body, Really they had become the body of Christ expressing his life every day everywhere all the time. Everyone took active part in initiating this flow of life. All the believers were together, everyone was sharing, anyone had his needs met.

It is still happening. Ecclesia is taking place all over the world in small gatherings in homes and in larger celebrations, day to day as believers are sharing their life in Christ with one another and with those who still not know the Lord Jesus Christ. Today ecclesia took place for us in a small hotel room in Colombo in Sri Lanka.