Today I will worship with my extended spiritual family at the North Side church in Mena, Arkansas. This church has a special place in our hearts as we have shared the spiritual journey for over 40 years. We are colaborers together in various mission efforts around the world.
I will miss my family at home at Park Plaza. The Park Plaza church will pray for various mission efforts today, and they will pray for me in my absence. My mission schedule will take me away for almost all of the summer until school starts in August–the calendar shows at best the possibility of two Sundays at home at Park Plaza.
I am thinking today about the beauty and blessing of spending time with God’s family each week in worship and fellowship, even when I am away from my “home” family.
- In my family at home, regular time together allows us to build close relationships of love and support in Christ so that we see Christ’s love in our brothers and sisters.
- There is an emptiness when I am away, and I automatically think about my spiritual family.
- God’s family is global and wherever I go I have brothers and sisters in Christ who welcome me with open arms.
- My presence among my extended family is a source of encouragement to those I visit.
- God’s family knows no geographic, language, or ethnic boundaries.
- God’s family is not the same everywhere. There are differences in customs, traditions, worship styles, and other aspects of church, but we are still one body and one family.
- God is at work in his family and among his people.