And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. – Acts 2:42-45
Dear People of St. David’s,
In the Gospels, the disciples are presented as people who never really understood what Jesus was talking about, who he really was, what he had come to do, or what his primary message was all about. After all of Jesus’ teachings about the last being first and the first being last, we see the disciples arguing about which one of them was the “greatest disciple.” After all the teachings on loving your neighbor and loving your enemy, we see the disciples ask if they should “call down fire from heaven” upon a town that didn’t receive them. We see Judas betray Jesus. We see Peter deny he even knew Jesus at all.
There are two events which utterly transform the disciples into giants of faith and selflessness: the Resurrection and Pentecost. We’ll talk about Pentecost later (June 8th this year), but here at the beginning of the season of Easter, I want to talk about the Resurrection.
In the beginning of the Book of Acts we see the disciples no longer hiding in the Upper Room. Rather, we see them steadfast “in the breaking of bread and the prayers,” we see them working “signs and wonders,” and we see them sharing everything that they had to make sure that no one among them was in need.
A lot of the discussions that happen around the Resurrection are about whether it actually happened and what exactly happened when Jesus rose from the dead 2,000 years ago. Those are interesting questions to talk about—but one of the most important things that demonstrate the power of the Resurrection is its dramatic effect on Jesus’ followers: It completely reorients their lives.
Jesus’ rising to life again changed how his followers lived.
Yes, it changed their prayer and worship life, as one would expect. It also changed how they related to each other: they began living in such a way that none of them were overly attached to their possessions, and they shared what they had with others.
At St. David’s we might identify these areas of change as “fellowship” and “outreach.”
How we relate to each other, and how we look after the needs of those who are vulnerable, are fundamental to our response to the Resurrection of Jesus. We gather in love and truth—because Jesus rose from the dead. We seek to serve the poor, the hungry, the sick, and those on the margins of society—because Jesus rose from the dead.
These are not “extracurriculars.” They have been foundational to the Christian witness to the Resurrection since the first few weeks after Jesus walked out of that tomb.
Of course, I write this to inspire you to engage even more in our fellowship and outreach efforts. I also write this so that you might recognize what you are already doing as a powerful response to the Easter message.
When you brought in toiletries in Lent—you were witnessing to the Resurrection. When you bring in nonperishable food items in Easter—you are witnessing to the Resurrection. When you cook a meal or sleep over for Family Promise—you are witnessing to the Resurrection. When you labor for the St. David’s Fair whose proceeds go to support our ministry partners—you are witnessing to the Resurrection.
In all these ministries—and more—we are standing in the ancient tradition of the apostles who proclaimed faith in Jesus’ death and Resurrection with their word and their actions.
So go, and show the world that He is Risen!
God’s Peace,
Rick
The Rev. Rick Morley
Rector
Published on April 24, 2025