Please join us for online worship this Sunday as we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost and remember the coming of the Holy Spirit.
From the tongues of fire to Peter’s bold proclamation of salvation in Christ, we know that the day of Pentecost itself was an auspicious and exciting day. But what did life in the church look like after the fireworks of Pentecost? What happened after the Spirit came? In a span of a few verses, the book of Acts gives us an evocative picture of the early church.
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.” (Acts 2:42–46 ESV)
The phrase “as any had need” sticks out to me as an exhortation to all of us to take care of each other in this difficult season. We do not yet know the full extent of the economic impact this pandemic will have, but in the spirit of the early church, we want to be ready to take care of each other’s needs as this crisis continues to unfold.
To that end we have set aside an initial $5,000 for a relief fund. The money is intended to help the people of St. Bart’s with needs arising from lost jobs, lost income, and other difficulties resulting from the pandemic. Additionally, in the month of June we will set aside 10% of all giving for the relief fund.
In the coming weeks, we will communicate the details of how to apply online, who qualifies, etc .In the meantime, if you have a need, please email contact@stbartsdallas.org.
Chris+