Many of you know how much I love my church. Many of you may be tired of hearing about how much I love my church. But I continually fall in love with my church family again and again and I just can't help but share about it. Yesterday I was so deeply moved and reminded of what the Church is supposed to be. Our congregation is socioeconomically diverse. We have one member whose story is extraordinarily precious and involves the love of God's people in very bad times bringing him to the love of God. He has been an incredible member of our church family and stepped up in every way he can. He loves his church family so very well. This is the Church.
Yesterday he posted on Facebook that he desperately needed some finances to fall into place for something that was really important for his well-being and didn't know what he was going to do but was trusting God to provide. He wrote this with the purpose of asking everyone to pray- prayer for his unbelief. He asked for prayer to trust God to provide. It's been since taken down due to abundance of provision, so I don't have the exact wording; but quickly a dependable brother in the church family posted something to the extent of, "I've got the first 10%. Come on church let's do this!" He knows what the Church was made to be. Two more 10% offerings followed. The whole amount was taken care of nearly immediately. This is the Church.
There are so many things I love about my church, but one thing is the way everyone offers all that they have. Some members have enough money to get by and they offer it without a second thought. Some members have time to invest in our kids and youth and are so excited to do it. Some members rejoice to carry the cross into the service, read Scripture, set the table for Communion, collect the offering, or pray for others. We are all so unique and at my church I love to see how each person's gifting are utilized. This is who we are. Diverse people united in their love for and service of God and each other. This is the Church.
May we never forget the beauty of diversity. May we never fail to step up and say, "I offer all that I have." May we never walk past a brother or sister when they are in need and just pray that things will get better for them. May we often chose to be the answer to our prayers. May we welcome every person into our family not out of some silly place of pity, but because we NEED every person. May we never undervalue the gifts that each individual brings. May we see God in every brother and sister and praise Him for how He reveals Himself through them. May we never forget who the Church is meant to be. May we be the Church.
Yesterday he posted on Facebook that he desperately needed some finances to fall into place for something that was really important for his well-being and didn't know what he was going to do but was trusting God to provide. He wrote this with the purpose of asking everyone to pray- prayer for his unbelief. He asked for prayer to trust God to provide. It's been since taken down due to abundance of provision, so I don't have the exact wording; but quickly a dependable brother in the church family posted something to the extent of, "I've got the first 10%. Come on church let's do this!" He knows what the Church was made to be. Two more 10% offerings followed. The whole amount was taken care of nearly immediately. This is the Church.
There are so many things I love about my church, but one thing is the way everyone offers all that they have. Some members have enough money to get by and they offer it without a second thought. Some members have time to invest in our kids and youth and are so excited to do it. Some members rejoice to carry the cross into the service, read Scripture, set the table for Communion, collect the offering, or pray for others. We are all so unique and at my church I love to see how each person's gifting are utilized. This is who we are. Diverse people united in their love for and service of God and each other. This is the Church.
May we never forget the beauty of diversity. May we never fail to step up and say, "I offer all that I have." May we never walk past a brother or sister when they are in need and just pray that things will get better for them. May we often chose to be the answer to our prayers. May we welcome every person into our family not out of some silly place of pity, but because we NEED every person. May we never undervalue the gifts that each individual brings. May we see God in every brother and sister and praise Him for how He reveals Himself through them. May we never forget who the Church is meant to be. May we be the Church.
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