Hear this amazing passage from Acts: The whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Now I will say that I don’t take this as a dictum for National Economic Policy, any more than I take “Turn the other cheek” as a description of judicia
In the last couple of days, this sanctuary has been a grim place. You wouldn’t think it on Easter Sunday--you’d think we were all celebration, all joy and gladness--but consider, if you didn’t, coming to one of our Holy Week services next year. You will hear a different story, on Thursday and Friday at 7pm--a story about dying, about friends watching a friend die and not being able to do anything about it. Some of you will know this experience from the inside. You will know what it’s like to, say, be friends with someone who has cancer. I had a small friend with cancer; he was one-and-a-half when he was first diagnosed with something else, a rare syndrome, and then it became leukemia but