SUNDAY, MARCH 27

“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” (Romans 12:5)

“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.” “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every person to profit withal.” (I Corinthians 12:4,7)

One Family

I am thankful to be a part of a church family. It is a help to know that though each of us is on an individual spiritual journey, we are part of a whole governed by Christ. Each of us is unique because of our physical and mental abilities, our environment, our orientation, and our approach to life. Though our paths and circumstances differ, we are here to learn from and to minister to each other.

We are surrounded by people with so many gifts. We have so many opportunities to be in fellowship with people in our church family – think of all of the members of this church that we meet through worship, through classes, through volunteer and committee work, through small groups, through the myriad of activities that are available.

Yet it is necessary to realize that our church family is but a tiny segment of all of the peoples of the world. Being a part of our church community can be a training ground for us as we interact with all whom we meet and all whom we shall never know but who are part of our human condition. In our church community and in the world community may we strive to reach out to each other with compassion, a willingness to learn about each other, and a desire to try to understand each other. May we remember that we are fellow travelers; we have much to learn and we have much that we can give. Such an undertaking can only be a possibility through our reliance upon God.

Prayer: Dear God, I thank you for providing me with a church family that allows me to worship you in fellowship with others. May I remember that this is a training ground for my fellowship with those both in and outside my church community. May I be grateful for your people, for making me a part of your whole, for being with me as I attempt to learn about and to understand others. Thank you for helping me to receive and to give what I can to each person with whom I have contact. Amen.

Barbara Lewis