In the recent article I wrote on worship, I identified three simple elements that we find in the worship of any church which claims Christ as Lord. These elements may take many different forms, and though these forms are not entirely indifferent, the question of form is not as important as the fact that these three elements shine through.
However, I missed one element in discussing the passage. At the very least, the passage implies this fourth element. That element is “the collection” or a formal act of giving. Acts 2:42 lists four different things that the early church devoted itself too. I connected the Apostles’ teaching to teaching or preaching, I connected the breaking of bread to the Lord’s Supper, and I connected the Prayers to Psalms and perhaps a collection of traditional prayers among the Jews. The passage also mentions the fellowship. I took that very generally… as kind of a pre-condition for all the other elements. If the members were to come together, they also took in an interest and enjoyment in one another. I did not attach it to a component in the service. I believe I was wrong because the other elements listed imply that this is a fourth. .
As I have said, this element is “the collection” or making provision for the poor. Of course the word “fellowship” denotes a lot more than just the collection, but it is in the formal moment of collecting in the assembly that we express our devotion to the fellowship. Giving then is another essential part of the act of worship.
It is easy to forget the significance of the collection as an expression of fellowship, especially in the affluent Western World. I offer myself as an example here, having missed this element in this crucial passage here. Too often the church has warped the act of giving, as churches misuse the money that is entrusted to them for the sake of their own gain. In some ways, it is the misdirection of the collection away from the needy that makes God really angry in scripture.