This week I have been spending some extra time thinking about the reason we gather as a church. It’s easy to come together and enjoy the fellowship and good relationships that we have with our church family without really paying attention to the deeper reasons behind our gathering. While not all inclusive or in order of priority, I want to consider some of the reasons we gather as the family of God.
To start with we should remember that we are God’s family. We belong to Him, and the time we spend together with His family should point us back to Him. The special relationship that we have is a result of the relationship that we have with Jesus. We are tied together in ways that aren’t possible without the work of the Holy Spirit. You didn’t choose God’s family any more than you chose your parents. God chose you and placed you into a spiritual family that has a purpose. You have a role to play and gifts that your spiritual family needs, if we all are to be the family that God intends.
It’s also helpful to remember that none of us have “arrived” yet. The relationships that we form with our church family point out our flaws and drive us to our knees time and time again. And that is as it should be. Embrace the challenge of getting along with people who are not like you! In those moments when we struggle to understand each other and still allow the love of God to hold us together, we are the brightest lights in a dark world. Have patience and love each other.
The last thing for today, when we gather as God’s family we are uniting for a purpose that is bigger than any one of us. The mission of Jesus in the world is big enough to encompass all of our lives. The ministry of reconciliation demands more than any single believer, or any single church can give. It is only when we unite at the foot of the cross, drawn by the working of the gospel in our lives, and are compelled outward by God’s grace that we really begin to understand the church and her reason for being.
Today I thank God for each of you and the local church body that you represent. May God be glorified as you are strengthened in your faith.
Rejoicing!
Norman