This past month we’ve been talking a lot about the idea of “church” here at Into the Harvest. On our podcast, in our videos, in our social media posts. And quite honestly, we probably won’t stop talking about it any time soon!
In fact, when I was listening to Andrew’s latest Mission Minute series on Church as Family, I was reminded of a story a friend told me not long ago. He had been meeting with a group of college students for about a year and was struggling with their lack of commitment. He said that he finally decided to just take the word “church” out of their vocabulary all together! Instead he started referring to everything they did as “family time”. He said that it was just a subconscious shift of priority. We just naturally are less likely to bail on our family. And it made me think just how important what we call something really is for those involved.
Church: A Family Affair
What would it be like if we started treating our church family like a real family? Calling them when we hadn’t seen them in a while, bringing food to them when they’re sick, providing for their needs when they’re down on their luck, and maybe even checking in on them out when they’re in a bad place?
Jesus said it best in Matthew 12. When someone told him that his mother and brothers were waiting for him outside, he responded, “Who are my mother and brothers?” and then pointing to his disciples He said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Here in San Antonio where I live, we have a large Hispanic culture that often reveals itself when you see a giant family of multiple generations gathering at a local park on a Saturday. They bring in grills and tons of food, lawn chairs and coolers… you take just one look and you know they’re going to be there all day! I love this part of their culture and wished we saw more of it.
What if we treated our brother’s and sisters in Christ this way? How would it affect our relationships? How would it affect the world around us? As we mentioned in our podcast on Church in the Harvest (Pt 2), what would happen if we thought of church as more than a 2 hour window of time? What if instead we began to spread it throughout the week? I think it could revolutionize our church health!
Think of ways that you can bring your church experience into all the aspects of your week, and maybe make a plan to implement some of those ideas this next week!
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