Good Shepherd Christian Academy, a ministry of the church I pastor, had graduation exercises for 8th grade last night. One theme glued the evening together- the sense of being a family! The attachments run deep, as evidenced by their tears, real tears that flowed copiously through the whole 90 minute program. Sure, they fight. What brothers and sisters don't? Some of them have been GSCA students for their entire elementary education, others just for a year or two. Even at age 13 or 14, they know the value of 'belonging.'
Oh, that each ministry and participant in our church would find and hold onto that kind of connection! Ours is a fragmented, broken society, with many lonely, isolated people. Large extended families in America are almost extinct, torn apart by our mobility and quest for prosperity; and yet, we need to belong! Few things are more critical to emotional and spiritual health than being part of a network of relationships that provides opportunities for service and support. But, it isn't easy to build or maintain that kind of web, is it? Tragically, too often conflict is allowed to tear up families and churches! (I'm not throwing any stones on that point for I've been there, done that!) Somebody's sin intrudes and because we don't know how to deal with sin and dysfunction with bold, firm, loving discipline; everything blows up! Then, too, many of us hang onto an exaggerated sense of privacy and/or individualism that allows us a high level of autonomy but robs us of the joy of really loving and being loved.
A church that opens her doors and hearts to others will look very messy! Some expect their church to be like an army on parade, in neat uniforms, marching in lockstep. I have to disagree. A real church will resemble a family reunion, chaotic, relational, glued together not by rigid discipline but by profound love! A church family will have the full complement of characters - just like any other family. There will be the leaders and the followers, the stars and the silent workers, the cranks and the jokesters, the sages and the fools, the highly productive and the VNP's (Very Needy People), the good and the bad, the whole and the broken, the joyful and the sad.
Let me ask you a couple of questions today.
Are you part of a church?Are you helping her be a real family?Are you investing yourself in forming and maintaining close relationships that will return rich dividends to you and for the cause of Christ?
Ponder this passage from the Scripture that describes the Church in terms of the body. It's a familiar passage, so I've used The Message to help you read it anew. As you read, invite the Holy Spirit to renew the family of God, to glue us together, to help us to love each other.
"What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, "Get lost; I don't need you"? Or, Head telling Foot, "You're fired; your job has been phased out"? As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way-the "lower" the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. When it's a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn't you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair?
The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't, the parts we see and the parts we don't. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance. You are Christ's body-that's who you are! You must never forget this.
Only as you accept your part of that body does your "part" mean anything. You're familiar with some of the parts that God has formed in his church, which is his "body": apostles prophets teachers miracle workers healers helpers organizers those who pray in tongues. But it's obvious by now, isn't it, that Christ's church is a complete Body and not a gigantic, unidimensional Part?
It's not all Apostle, not all Prophet, not all Miracle Worker, not all Healer, not all Prayer in Tongues, not all Interpreter of Tongues."
(1 Corinthians 12:20-30, The Message)
___________
Welcome to the family,
We're glad that you have come
To share your life with us,
As we grow in love
And may we always be to you,
What God would have us be,
A fam'ly always there,
To be strong and to lean on.
May we learn to love each other
More with each new day,
May words of love be on our lips
In ev'rything we say.
May the Spirit melt our hearts,
And teach us how to pray,
That we might be a true family.
Welcome To The Family
Rettino, Debby Kerner
© 1982 Rettino - Kerner Publishing (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
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