Welcome to Our Daily Bread. I'm Sheridan Voizzi, and I've called our reading today, humbly asking for help.

As our party approached, my wife and I started planning. With many people coming, should we pay a caterer to cook?

If we do the cooking ourselves, should we buy a barbecue?

With a small chance of rain on the day, should we buy a tent too?

Soon our party was getting expensive and even a little anti-social.

By trying to provide everything ourselves, we were missing an opportunity to receive

the help of others. The Bible's vision of community is one of both giving and receiving. Even before

the fall, Adam needed help, and we're called to seek others' advice and share our burden. The early

church held everything in common, benefiting

from each other's property and possessions. Instead of living independently, they shared,

borrowed, gave, and received in beautiful interdependence. We ended up asking guests to bring

a salad or dessert to our party.

Our neighbours brought their barbecue, and a friend brought his tent.

Asking for help enabled us to forge closer relationships,

and the food people made brought variety and delight.

In an age like ours, being self-sufficient can be a source of pride.

But God gives his grace to the humble,

including those who humbly ask for help.

Today's scripture reading is from Acts chapter 2, verses 42 to 47.

They devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread into prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed

by the Apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property

and possessions to give to anyone who had need.

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