"In the early Church people were attracted to it not so much by the preaching, but by the fact that they saw Christians as a community, living a new life as if what God had done was important, and had made a difference. They saw a community of those who, whether poor or rich, make or female, free or slave, young or old, all quite unbelievably loved and cared for each other. It was the lifestyle of the Christians that was witnessing." Desmond Tutu

After Easter Sunday, the church heads straight into the Book of Acts. There is a kind of non-linear path to this from an historical standpoint. The scripture we will read over the next few Sundays has us reading texts that seem to have happened after Pentecost, the ‘birth of the church’, which we celebrate on May 11th. But reading these stories of the early followers is good for us, good for the church. So little has changed. We are still trying to figure it all out, trying to come up with the right words, the best slogan, the slickest marketing tool to bring people into the Way. Reading the stories of those first century Christians makes us not feel so alone, so incompetent.

It is not news that mainline faith traditions have been declining for years. The reasons for this are numerous and book after book has been filled with them and what to do to do about it.  It is so easy to go to the fear place and try to do everything possible to ‘fix’ these fragile communities of equally fragile people, hoping beyond hope that we will attract others who want to join us. Most faith communities have buildings that need constant care, constant sources of revenue to keep them chugging along.And in these troubled economic times, it can, at times, seem futile.

Reading these wise words of Desmond Tutu who visited the Twin Cities last week, I was reminded of what it means to be the church. His idea that people were attracted to the early church because people "unbelievably loved and cared for each other." How simple…..how difficult. It is not about the most eloquent preaching…..though that helps. It is not about the most beautiful building….though that is awe-inspiring. It is not about the most gifted choir…though that is a treasure. It is not about the slickest ad campaign….though that can generate great enthusiasm. It is not even about the most profound theology.

What attracted people to the Way of Jesus was a community where they were loved and cared for…..unbelievably. And isn’t that what we all search for? A community of people who, in the words of Bridget Jones "love me just the way I am." We long for a community where, with all our faults, our failures, our quirks, our idiosyncrasies, we are welcomed for who we are without judgment or question.

We may not always agree with one another. We may not like the hymns that were chosen this past week. The preacher may have said a few things that really didn’t jive with the way we think. But for the church to be the church, the love for one another must be visible, palpable. Like those in Acts, it is our witness to the world.

"I give you a new commandment, that you love one another." John 13:34