We Are Family

My daughter has recently reminded me of what makes a church family, what it looks like, what it feels like, what someone from the inside or outside looking in should see and feel when it comes to church family.

She's almost done with her second year in college and she's trying to find her own faith, her own way, and her place in life and in the church. She has visited a few other churches. Some close to her college, some with more college students her age, some with other friends, but yet she keeps coming back to her home congregation. I have encouraged her to seek out these other places, because I know she needs peers her age that are also like-minded Christians.

After continuing to come home and my encouragement to continue to seek other places she made me realize what church is all about in just one short simple sentence. "But this is my family."

You see, she has it figured out at her young age that the church is made up of the people of Christ that love one another, support one another even if they don't always agree. She laughs and jokes, "with the ornery old man, " she talks about how she loves the burst of laughter that she hears from another lady at a funny joke from the pulpit, she has wisecracking banter with the youth minister whom she calls her fun uncle, she talks of the comforting, familiar voice of our main pulpit minister, she mentors the younger teen girls who look up to her, she appreciates the handshake and warm smile of a faithful elder who shows her the love of Christ and reminds her that the Lord has truly blessed him and in turn reminds her of the same blessings, and she loves the warm embrace and encouragement of the older ladies in the congregation who are glad to see the "college girl at church," and the list could go on and on.

From the time she was born to now, this has been her family, her home.

We often hear family used in reference to our church, the term "church family" floats around freely and flows freely from the tongue. We are family, all my brothers and sisters (in Christ) and me. We often hear words like brother and sister in Christ, our brethren, brother or sister so and so...so that should make us family, right?

What constitutes a family? Most people would think of a blood relation when it comes to family. Well, in the Christian family we've got that. The blood of Christ joins us together.

"So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. For he said to God, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people.”

Hebrews 2:11-12

“Blood is thicker than water” is a meaningful idiom for it teaches the strong affection and loyalty of family members. The blood of Jesus unites committed disciples in a church in a tighter relationship than any earthly family with only a DNA connection. A church family actually becomes one body and forms its own DNA in Christ, giving it the ability to work and serve together in unity.

The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink

But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; 24-27

The body can only but, function together or it will fall apart. As baptized Christians we are all joined together by One Spirit, which helps us work and function together.

Jesus reminds us of just how His family is made up.

"For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 12:50

Whoever believes in Jesus and does His will are part of His family, part of those who make up the people who laugh together, love together, serve together, praise God together, learn together, and remain faithful together. They may even fight, they may even discourage one another from time to time, but families fight, but they come back together with a common purpose and goal, a common love in Jesus. We're all "just walking each other home" until the day we can "all get to heaven."

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. Romans 15:5-7

When we become part of Christ's body, we become part of a family who rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, live in harmony with one another, and build each other up as is commanded in scripture. With a great opportunity like that, the command becomes a welcoming task. We begin to see the face of Christ in that ornery brother, the faithful brother who shakes hands with a welcoming smile, and the laughter and encouragement of those older sisters and we can easily feel comfortably at home with them and say, "this is my family."