What’s in a Week?
The birth of a baby.
Neighbors helping one another in crisis.
Building a wheelchair ramp.
Friends visiting friends in a hospital.
Friends praying for others whose immediate relative is dying.
The beginning of a ministry to help others in grief.
Babysitting, delivering meals, building wheelchair ramps, quietly meeting financial needs, encouraging others, providing funds for local, domestic, and international mission efforts. Striving to become better at reflecting the light and love of God.
These are some of the things I saw this week. They are things that occur every week through our local churches.
Some people think of church as a series of activities. Others consider a church a building. Some equate it with ritual or obligation. Still, others see it as a place or opportunity for personal gain. The church, however, is comprised of people. People are the church.
There are blessings to be had through participation in a local church. They may or may not be what each of us has come to believe, dependent upon our experiences. Outwardly we may state it is more blessed to give than to receive, while inwardly we focus on the disappointment we experienced because a church did not meet our preconceived expectations. Outwardly we may say we desire to spread the love of Jesus, while inwardly we battle feelings of selfishness, self-esteem, and self-worth that restrain our ability or desire to understand love, much less distribute it.
Jesus said He had come so we might have life and have it more abundantly. The world seems to sap our time, our resources, and our joy. Something is wrong. Even church members struggle with these things.
Perhaps we struggle with these things because we have gotten to the point that we gather so infrequently. Some national statistics show that one who considers himself fully invested in his church attends just under one time per month and that when he attends, he only attends a worship service, avoids a small group of people in a Sunday school or other group, and never gets elbow-to-elbow with others serving people in any capacity. It takes all three to feel a sense of belonging and purpose. The people with whom you do these three together become family to you…church family…the family of God that gathers in a specific town, in a specific building. Your church.
In the worship service, we praise God and declare our loyalty to Him. In a small group we learn about Him through Bible study while talking about life with each other and praying for one another. By serving in some capacity, we develop comradery and experience the joy of serving others together. These three, worship, groups, and service come together to worship God, grow together, and serve others.
Have you ever sat on a stool with three legs? Together, these three elements serve like a three-legged. If one leg is missing, it is off-balance. You really cannot sit on a two-legged stool, much less a stool with just one leg. I suppose it could be done, but it would require much more effort to remain balanced than if the stool were complete.
Who is your church family? Do you have one? You need one. I know it has gotten deeply past the 2025 resolutions, but I am counting on the fact that statistics prove you are near to breaking those, if you have not already let them go. (I believe I read the average New Year’s resolution lasts up to twenty-one days.) Perhaps it is time for a newer resolution. I would love for you to examine your involvement in a church family. I know we all need to sense belonging and purpose. I know your involvement, (not occasional attendance), in a healthy church will provide those.
Again:
The birth of a baby.
Neighbors helping one another in crisis.
Building a wheelchair ramp.
Friends visiting friends in a hospital.
Friends praying for others whose immediate relative is dying.
The beginning of a ministry to help others in grief.
Babysitting, delivering meals, building wheelchair ramps, quietly meeting financial needs, encouraging others, providing funds for local, domestic, and international mission efforts. Striving to become better at reflecting the light and love of God.
These really are things I saw this week. These are things done by church members. Being involved in some and witnessing others were blessings to me. I want you to experience these blessings, as well.
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