Breaking the Word

5^th week in Easter Time, Wednesday – 10^th May 2023 – Acts 15,1-6; Jn 15,1-8

Conservatives and Progressives

The first reading presents the account of the very first Church council. The early church was struggling to incorporate the Gentiles into “the Way.” The struggle involves whether the non-Jews need to fully practice Judaism or not. The matter does not concern a central doctrine of faith but a tradition. The issue at stake was circumcision. Here the community is said to be divided between conservatives who saw the need for continuity with the past and those who saw the need for change with changing circumstances. Paul and Barnabas had seen how genuinely many Gentiles had accepted the Christian faith. They did not see that compulsory circumcision should be part of the package for all converts. However, there is much to learn from this experience of the early church. There is certainly a need for continuity if the Church is to retain its identity and its links with its origins.  At the same time, if the Church is to present its message in a way that is meaningful, it must also be ready to make the necessary adjustments in areas which, though they may have a long tradition, are not central and have outlived their meaningfulness. There will always be a measure of tension between conservative and progressive thinking. Both are necessary and a sign of a living church. But this must be a matter of diversity and not division. What is vital is that people on each side be open to frank and sincere dialogue. In spite of serious differences, we see dialogue taking place among the apostles in today’s reading.

5^th week in Easter Time, Tuesday – 9^th May 2023 – Acts 14,19-28; Jn 14,27-31

Functional Churches

In the first reading, Paul and Barnabas conclude their first missionary expedition and head back to the church of Antioch, who had sent them on the journey. In this voyage, they started faith communities all around Asia Minor with those who accepted the message of the Gospel. The purpose of their mission was to announce the Good News, to get the assemblies (Churches) started and move on. In each church, a pastoral structure was set up for the first time with the appointment of ‘presbyters’ or elders. With prayers and fasting, they were commended to the Lord. The elders (or presbyters) were community leaders chosen from among the communities by a laying on of hands. In this case, too, the elders were chosen by the apostles and not by the community. However, Paul and Barnabas had left behind nor just individual believers or leaders, but functioning communities with their own style of leadership.