January 8, 2014
It was monthly meeting day for the pastors in our area. We have devotions at each meeting and today’s was very helpful. The leader of devotions told a story about a former president of a seminary who always asked a particular question as he went from congregation to congregation meeting people. He would ask, tell me what is important about this church.
The answers he heard often included something about the building, the history, the pastor or members. Until he heard one unique answer that really stuck with him. The one thing about this church, the person shared, is that joining means never having to carry a burden alone again.
Now that is an awesome picture of the church. Not only is God always with us to help carry our burdens, fears, and dispel our loneliness, but so are other members. Joining a church, whether through baptism or transfer, means being a part of a family, the family of God, with brothers and sisters from all sorts of backgrounds and of all ages and with all types of experience.
His devotion reminded me of being told: coming to church is not just about what you get out of the experience. It may not even be about you on a particular day, because you may be there for someone else. They may be in need of your presence. Or, I suppose, they may need you to help carry their burden that day. Beautiful!
Blessings.
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