Happy Thanksgiving to My Family in Christ

Hebrews 2:10-11 (NIV) ¹⁰  In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. ¹¹  Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

            As you know – if you were with us in worship on Sunday – I had the joy of introducing my grandson Mason and praying for him. We also took time for everyone to pray for a child, grandchild, niece, or nephew of their own. The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are a time when the closeness of family means so much. While we are glad Mason and his parents will be with us for Thanksgiving, we are sad that our son won’t be able to be with us. He’s far away in Florida. While he will have a warmer Thanksgiving than us, we will miss him here where the days are shorter and the temperatures are dropping. Families experience these kinds of celebrations and separations all the time. I am glad that April leads a GriefShare program for people in our church and community who have lost loved ones. The holidays can be even more difficult for them.

            This was the second year that our church gathered for a pre-Thanksgiving dinner (on Sunday). This is one of my favorite gatherings in our church life, because it brings us together in a family atmosphere around the tables. The language of Scripture reminds us that we are a family. This is a powerful metaphor for the followers of Jesus. We’ve been adopted by the Father through the work of Jesus, His Son – our “elder brother”. In this sense every believer can know he is never without a family.

            May our love for one another be as it is in the closest of earthly families. In Christ our ties are eternal, and that is exciting to think about. But it is nice to have the hugs and the caring that a family gives “here and now”. I pray that we all will come to a deeper experience of familial love in our own church: that it will be personal, warm, caring, and that we will become more involved in each other’s lives. As a part of this church, you have much to offer others… just by being a faithful brother or sister. May you make our church family to be a home for others each day. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you..

Galatians 6:10 (NIV)  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Ephesians 3:14-19 (NIV) ¹⁴  For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵  from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸  may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

PRAYER:  Father, thank you for our elder brother Jesus, who has brought us into your family and calls us brothers and sisters. May I be true family to my brothers and sisters in Christ. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott