Where and How Do I Spend My Time?

Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:46-47 NASB)

Culture has a huge part to play in how I prioritize my time.  But I can't blame everything on culture.  In the early days of the Jerusalem Church, being in the temple every day wasn't a huge deviation from their culture.  I don't think the traveling dinner was either.  But these things weren't common either.

In my culture, being at the meeting house or sanctuary is just another appointment or part of our week.  The meetings go on my calendar, and the Sunday worship time is something I know I'll do every week.  For some in churches in this culture, going to the church property for meetings and even worship can be usurped by baseball or soccer games if they're scheduled then.  Vacations always take priority over time at church.  And it seems that giving is only something done when church is attended, if at all.

When my wife and I were dating, we'd visit my family and attend my church when in town.  When we'd visit her family, we thought about finding a church to visit, but decided to avoid the uncomfortable feelings of visiting a strange church and spend more time with her family.  It's odd, but now, 20 years later, we don't even question that practice.  Is that a lesson I want my daughter to learn?

I can't help but look at the description of this group of believers in Jerusalem and feel like I'm missing something very important, actually several things.  I need to air them, examine their validity, and maybe make some changes in how my family spends our time through the week.

First, day to day they met on temple grounds and in one mind.  I get to our church grounds twice a week, only three if necessary.  I could easily add another day just to help clean the place, pick weeds, or whatever needs to be done around there.  And those are pragmatic reasons beyond the opportunity to just go and pray for those who go in and out of those doors, pray for my pastors and their staff, and pray for those who drive by and see our sign.  I can always do that.

Second, they broke bread from house to house.  The small group I have the privilege to lead decided on their own to serve dinner just before.  The dinner and ensuing discussions take up as much time as the study itself.  We spend time talking about all sorts of things sharing and learning about each other.  It has built intimacy that no Bible discussion could have.  We do that once a week.  For our culture, that's a lot.  And we are considering adding a regular, possibly quarterly (or seasonal) backyard barbecue into the mix.  So, there I think I have been led to follow the pattern of this Scripture to a comfortable degree.  But I also see the benefit of it.

The last things are the attitude of sincerity and unity that pervaded the group.  In my culture, we don't say what's on our mind, we use "tact" to beat around the bush, and avoid confrontation.  Ironically, that doesn't necessarily characterize our families.  So how intimate is a group relationship when we don't feel we can be honest, forthright, and don't feel safe to criticize?  This does not characterize church in most cases.  I do know one person in my church who doesn't have a problem with this, and I really appreciate him, as do many of our congregation.  He's not perfect, but he is respected.  He's both honest and forthright, but I never got the impression he was belligerent or mean, in fact he was a concerned about how he might be taken, but not deterred by that concern.  Why can't that characterize everyone or most rather than one?  I'd like it if it characterized me at least.

If these things characterized me, my Master's presence in my life would be noticeable.  It is beginning to characterize my small group.  That will become an influence in my church (we're not that huge that 10 or 12 people won't have an effect).  I hope that my life will begin to change and take on more of these qualities, but I will have to let it and encourage it.  It will affect my attitude toward my church, they will become a huge priority.  It will affect my life with my Master, He will have more of me to use for His purposes and Kingdom.  It will affect my influence in my community, I will be more bold to engage them with the good news I know, and they need.  And it will make an impression on my daughter who will see the validity not just sincerity of a Biblical-based church, and will seek that for the rest of her life.  Life change, that is the main effect; and my Master will add daily to the numbers of those being saved through this sub-culture.