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În biserica Străjerul, predicile din cadrul slujbei de duminică au rolul de a întregi tabloul unei experienţe liturgice specifice zilei de duminică, ziua Domnului.

Predicile se realizează structurat, pe cărţi ale Scripturii. Alegerea carţilor se face în funcţie de dinamica şi de nevoile comunităţii.

Prezentăm aici câte un sumar al predicilor din duminicile anterioare, în ideea că vor fi folositoare pentru cei care le citesc, dar şi ca o expresie a viziunii şi specificului comunităţii noastre. See archive.

 

Book „Acts of the Apostles” (chap. 2:42 – 47)

The first christians

In the „Acts of the Apostles” we find a beautiful description of the first Christian community in Jerusalem (Acts 2:42-47). Luke, the author of the book presents us the apostles who „cut to the heart” by Peter's preaching chose to follow Jesus and they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. „And had all things common", continuing daily with one accord in the temple, Praising God, and having favor with all the people” (Acts 2:42).

These are few reasons due to which this paragraph is important in the understanding of the Scriptures and of the subsequent history of the Church. Firstly, the reality is precious as with regard to the beginnings of the community on Jerusalem we have available few first hand resources compared to the descriptive richness in the Pauline Churches. Then the lifestyle of the first Christians shows a passage from the old Jewish practices and Jesus' manner of life towards the other events described by Luke and towards the later Church practices. And thirdly and the most important of all, the description presents us the fundamental principles of the Christian life, based on love and the Gospel‘s Annunciation.

The sources of this community model are multiple. They surely inspired the teaching and exemplary manner of life of the Savior. Our Lord was surrounded, as we know, by the Apostles who left their families, their homes and possessions in order to follow Him. With Him, they were living a simple life, had all things in common, they were praying, learning and preaching to all men the Gospel. To the same extent, the life of the prophets in the Old Testament served as models by the love they showed for the truth of God and accomplishments of His commandments. At the same time, we could suppose that the Esenian example was not new to the apostles. We identify similar elements such as the withdrawal from the world, the life in common and stedfastly continuation in prayers and love.

Remain though the differences in the esoteric character practices adopted by the Esenians, separation of the men from women, mandatory waiving of all possessions, etc.

The Jerusalem community substantiated on some fundamental principles of the Christian life. The Gospel Annunciation, preaching the word of God (kerugma), accounts of the Lord's life, death and ascension representing the most important mission of the apostles and of the converted ones. It was the message of hope, of deliverance and remission of the entire world, a call to repent, to baptism and to the receiving of the Holy Spirit's grace. The power of God accompanied all as, for the world to believe that „many wonders and signs were done by the apostles” (Acts 2:43). Thus, „the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47). The second fundament of the community is that of the Christ's and the apostles' teaching itself (didache). This knowledge, so wonderfully presented at the beginning in parables by the Savior Himself was substantiated by the research of the Law and Prophets in the new light brought by the Spirit's appearance on the world fifty days after Easter.

Another principle is that of the clerical communion (koinonia in the Spirit). The prayer in common, stedfastly continuation in brotherly love and in breaking of bread is the relevant practice for the Christians in Jerusalem. They are the bond of the small community, the communion paths from the Spirit of God, the sources of the power of example and of the light lit for the call to redemption. And finally the first fundament is that of the material fellowship (koinonia in goods). Sale of their possessions and goods, all things in common and partition to all man, as every man has need (Acts 2:44-45), shows the ardor of the community members, their dedication and determination to hollow the path of God.

The life of the first Christians shall serve us all on this day as example, according to our powers and the Great Grace be upon us all, as it was upon them all (Acts 4:33).

Iassy, 28 January 2006

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