The following is the text of the sermon preached Wednesday, July 2, 
by Judith Kipp. The text was submitted to the Annual Conference Office 
in mid-June and may have been modified for the actual presentation.  

Judith Kipp 
Focus: Count Well the Cost of Community 
Title: "Not to be Trifled With" 
Scripture: Acts 2:37-47, 5:1-11; Ephesians 2:18-20  

1997 Church of the Brethren Annual Conference Long Beach,
California, July 2, 1997        

   Count well the cost of community. Ah...community! We in the
church have carried on a love affair with the concept of
community. We name congregations "Community Church." We talk
about "belonging" and enthuse how everyone feels "at home."
Community means everyone feels loved and is loving. We are
inclusive -- mostly. And we always get along well. Ah yes,
community. We love to love community.      
   I personally can lay claim to being among those who have
spoken euphorically about community over the years. You wouldn't
know it to look at me, but I'm a "child of the sixties!" Those of
us who were trying to grow up into adulthood then, and there are
so many of us dominating the demographics of denominations all
across this country, we had a special hankering for community and
dabbled in experiments of communal living.      
   Now, I'm not talking about the stereotypes of "communes" with
group hot-tub sessions, open marriage and the
free-to-be-you-and-me version that was associated with such
centers of 60s hippiedom as Southern California. No, I'm talking
about Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, home of Mennonites and
radical Brethren who were serious minded, biblically based and
frankly idealistic.      
   In fact, if you know anything about Jim and I personally, you
will know that we lived on a farm in Lancaster County for
seventeen years in an intentional community we formed with the
Weaver family. We made commitments to each other that were legal
and financial. I have wondered if part of the reason for inviting
me to speak on Counting Well the Cost of Community has to do with
my own history of involvement in that experiment.       

   Community is near and dear to us all, as it should be because
it is a central concept of, not only the Church of the Brethren,
but the whole of Christianity. Community is basic to Judaism.
Paul Hanson, who wrote a book on the growth of community in the,
Bible calls community, "the tender art of living in together."
(Paul D. Hanson, "The People Called: The Growth of Community in
the Bible," Harper and Row, p. 1)       

   He tells us biblical record "presents a rich pageant of life
in community," full of saga, poetry, history and wisdom that
cover the whole range of human emotions and experiences. Hanson
declares that the answer to the riddle of life presented in the
Bible is that "There is no life that is not in community. And no
community not lived in praise of God." (Ibid.)      
   Were we to do a word study on biblical concepts of community,
we would not get very far. Surely, a certain amount of community
consciousness is present in the vocabulary of the Bible. But,
actually, much of our understanding of community comes not from
specific words (which are infrequent), but from the repeated
encounters with God by a group of believers. (Ibid., p. 8) Again
and again, a people meet up headlong with the creative
community-forming power of God's presence in the world and 
become the people of God.      
   It is in the recounting of this heritage and these lessons of
"the tender art of living together" that we can begin to
understand for ourselves the cost as well as the joy of
community.       

   What better place to start than to begin with chapter two of
the writing we call Acts! Acts 2 describes Pentecost, that day on
the ecclesiastical calendar we celebrate as the birth of the
Christian church.      
   Our reading for this evening from Acts 2 begins after all the
excitement of Pentecost -- after the miracles of speaking and
hearing; after Peter's moving sermon; after the crowd's eager
response. Often we think that's all Pentecost is about -- the
excitement and enthusiasm.      
   But it's after all the wonderful, audible evidence of
Pentecost, we get down to the heart of the matter. And the heart
of Pentecost is community. The gospel comes to life through the
Holy Spirit and that life is the formation of community. The
enthusiasm Pentecost is that the gospel is embodied in "the
tender of art of living together." (Ibid., p. 39)     
  Immediately after we are told that "about three thousand
persons were added," Luke gets right down to the business of
being community. Verse 42 tells us: "They devoted themselves to
teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the
prayers." Four key aspects of community are succinctly spelled
out: teaching, fellowship, breaking bread and prayers.       
   I particularly like the way Paul Hanson describes the value of
the apostles' teaching relative to Pentecost: "The church is not
to drift from one momentary emotional outburst to the next, to
resuscitate Pentecost on a weekly basis; rather the church moves
immediately to the task of teaching, keeping itself straight
about what it is and what it is to be about." (Ibid., p. 40)      
   As for fellowship -- this is the aspect we 60s children were
so fond of as we formed our communities. Koinonia, fellowship, is
not to be confused with the warm, fuzzy togetherness of
brotherly, sisterly love. It goes beyond the bonds of
conventional friendship. This fellowship is about sharing
resources. It may safely be said that fellowship is indeed one of
the greatest of the miracles of Pentecost!      
   The text tells us "all who believed were together and had all
things in common." Back in the 70s it was the idea of sharing
resources was often the motivating factor for the formation of
communities. That is how we defined ourselves. When I say we were
biblically based, this is the text that comes most readily to
mind. We were attracted to this aspect of community.      
   It is this aspect of community that we'll be considering
further when we get to the episode of Ananias and Sapphira.       
   The early church embodied Jesus' injunction to the young man
to sell all and give to the poor. It was reminiscent of Zaccheus,
who once he was saved, gave half of all that he had. In Acts 2, a
whole new community does the same. This was not some once and
done emotional response borne on some brief wave of enthusiasm.
People committed themselves to living a  new way.      
   The third expression of community, the breaking  of bread is
another tangible, real, evidence of the work of the Spirit among
the new community. Remember that throughout Luke's gospel,
dinner-time with Jesus is not only fellowship, it is revelation
and controversy. "This man receives sinners and eats with them."
(Luke 15:2) You recognize the importance of being "at table." It
goes back to Jewish tradition -- the table is a holy place and
eating together a sacred activity. Every meal we eat can be full
of thanksgiving -- a eucharist. Every meal we share provides the
promise of the great banquet to which we are all invited.         
   And finally, Pentecost gave way to prayers. Even with the
arrival of newness through the Holy Spirit, the community does
not neglect the traditions of prayer.      
   Acts 2:42 states the four activities of community that
resulted from the infusing of the Holy Spirit. Additional verses
expand on these four themes and end with the absolutely positive
description of the new church who had "glad and generous hearts,
praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day
by day the Lord added to their number..." "Awe came upon
everyone..."      
   Hold that ideal of community in mind as we move to chapter
five. And remember, if chapter two is ideal, chapter five is
real.       

   I want to say a brief word about COST -- Count well the COST
of community. The first dictionary definition of COST refers to
financial commitments and only secondly other kinds of
expenditures. When I tried to tell my former New Testament
professor that we really could just as well delete this story
from the canon because, after all, "it IS a nasty tale" and
"besides Ananias and Sapphira are never mentioned anywhere else,"
Bob Weber quickly reminded me that "On the contrary, Luke-Acts
uses the theme of possessions and our relationship to them as
external evidence of our inward faith." (Or something like that.) 
   The difficulty that Ananias and Sapphira run up against is
exactly a problem of possession.      
   What do you think: is this a good stewardship text? I believe
it was in a group of pastors, who often have, as you know, a
warped sense of humor. One quipped that he was considering
preaching a sermon with the title, "Coming Out of the Closet." It
would be on stewardship.      
   Ananias and Sapphira are real people. They are a whole lot
like us. They probably expected the "Don't Ask-Don't Tell"
policy.       
   But Peter -- bold Peter -- enlivened by the Holy Spirit Peter
-- ASKS a direct question. He asks Ananias about his recent
property transaction. Peter gives Ananias a chance to undo what
he has done and come clean. But Ananias allows himself to be
deceived. Peter wonders aloud, "Why are you lying?"       
   When it's Sapphira's turn to answer, and we women especially
are rooting for HER to be honest, the deception continues. And so
Peter has to pronounce a prophetic word. "Look, the feet of those
who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry
you out."  Peter words to Sapphira are rather poetic, I think. And
yet, definitely graphic. "Look, the feet of those who have buried 
your husband are at the door..."      
   I heard about a sermon preached by Walter Bruggemman on this
text from Acts 5. Instead of comparing chapters two and five as
we are doing this evening, he compared the Ananias and Sapphira
story to the event in Acts 3 -- the healing the man lame from
birth. It tells us that when Peter healed the man, Peter "took
him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet
and ankles were made strong. Jumping up, he stood and began to
walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping
and praising God." (Acts 3:3-4) The feet in chapter three are
lively, dancing, walking feet. They are the feet of a person
praising God and they lead all the people to recognize the power
of the Holy Spirit.           
   But the feet in chapter five are the feet of a funeral march.
Peter tells Sapphira to look at the feet of those at the door. He
lets her know she will do no dancing and leaping and cavorting.
She will be unable to offer her praise and worship. It is too
late. It is the slow cadence of a funeral procession for her
instead.       

   We may think these are dire consequences over a piece of
property and a little desire to get ahead. Friends, COST is not
only about money and possessions, but do not be misled. COST
unmistakably is about money. We cannot avoid it. Our material
wealth and what we do with it has import for us that can mean the
difference between life and death.      
   This tale of Ananias and Sapphire is so real. They are so like
us. They sought security in the wrong place. They misplaced the
allegiance they owed to God and gave their loyalty to getting and
grasping for themselves.      
   They are like us. They lived a lie. They were in denial. I
know you've heard it. Maybe you've even said it. I call IT "poor
talk." It runs along lines such as, "Oh, but I don't really make
that much." Or, "We both have to work just to make ends meet." "I
can't possibly give any more than I am already."      
   Ananias and Sapphira are real, like us. They were looking for
life in all the wrong places. Where do you seek it? Maybe not
possessions, but how about position. Or maybe posterity -- leave
it to the kids so you won't be forgotten; or leave it to an
institution who will name a building after you (until the time
comes to change it in favor of the next large donor). We can
chase after so very many things -- for me and MY family -- that
are not life-enhancing.      
   Yes, Ananias and Sapphira are like us. They sought life
through wealth and ended up poverty-stricken. They were dying to
get ahead, but they were lost in spiritual poverty. By being
tight-fisted instead of open-handed, they lost their grip on
life. Empty, open hands are able to touch others, to give aid, to
be held in community. Grasping hands can hold nothing more. They
can do nothing more. Only empty, open hands are lively.
Tight-fisted hands are static and immovable. Dead hands.  
   Ananias and Sapphira feared for their own financial well-being
instead of fearing God. And in the process they lost everything
-- including life.   
   Instead of awe for God, they lost it all.       

   We need this story of Ananias and Sapphira. In writing it down
for dear Theophilus, Luke presents a realistic picture of the
early community. This is not some idealized, romanticized
version. These are real people who are pulled by the same
temptations that tug at us.      
   This story is about us. It is about our congregations back
home. It is about this congregation gathered in this great hall.
Whenever we meet together, we meet both the faithful and the
foolish. We meet those who chose life and those who give in to
death.      
   We need this story and we need to lament for Ananias and
Sapphira. They died without experiencing the truth of community.
We need to lament for ourselves for all the times that getting
and grasping outdistances our giving and generosity. And that
applies to the many things we try to grasp, not merely or only
possessions. What Ananias and Sapphira failed to grasp was the
"tender art of living together."      
   Ananias and Sapphira trifled with the truth. They trifled with
God. They trifled with the community. But the gospel truth is not
to be trifled with. "There is no life that is not in community.
And no community not lived in praise of God."           
   Count well the cost... of community.  


Judith Kipp is pastor of Ridgeway Community Church of the
Brethren, Harrisburg, Pa.  

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