LIFE TOGETHER
Remember the motto of the Three Musketeers? “All for one and one for all!” That sounds like something that should be on the lips and in the hearts of every church member. In good times and in bad, mutual support is essential for the life we share in Christ.
Note those last few words – life we share in Christ. Christian life is not a solo act. It is an effort in togetherness. It can’t be done alone. Christianity is not all about “me and Jesus.” To think we can live in faith without the ongoing worship and fellowship of the church is a product of either naivety or arrogance, both of which can be dangerous.
A motto diametrically opposed to that of the Three Musketeers is a familiar one: “To each his own.” Too often the underlying sentiment of this saying is evident in the life of the church. Some people’s involvement is primarily determined by their own particular taste or interest. They feel no responsibility to participate in the life of the church to encourage or up build others. They cannot see much beyond their own desires or needs. This diminishes the possibility of the church’s overall success in ministry and in mutual upbuilding.
Benjamin Franklin made a well-known statement at the signing of the Declaration of Independence: “We must all hang together or assuredly we shall hang separately.” When we fail to see the need to “hang together”, whether our own personal interests are being served or not, we weaken the church as a whole.
In order for classes, programs, and ministries to thrive we need broad participation. Above all, we need all members to be in worship consistently. Some may say I can’t do everything. Still we can all do something more than we are currently doing.
As a child, the essayist and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once watched a man cutting up wood. The task was beyond the young Emerson strength but finally he saw a way to be useful. “May I,” he asked, “do the grunting for you?” Let’s do what we are able to do. And let’s do it together for the glory of God.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Craig