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Connect with Family
by Rev. Don McMillan
Some of us are blessed in that we have all or part of our earthly families in our church. What a blessing it is to know that first, you are able to see them during the week at a place where you both worship God and second, that they have passed through those hard teen and young adult years and are still walking in the faith. What a joy!As I sit at my desk and look at our new church directory, my thoughts for this article tend more toward connecting with my church family. I see all the faces of the families and remember the times we have had together. I think about the times we have celebrated and the times we have cried. I see some faces that I see every week, but there are others that I have missed for a while and wonder where they are. I also see some I don’t know and realize that there are some contacts I need to make.
I cannot imagine living a single day without a church family as part of my life. You have ministered to me in more ways than can be numbered. When Donna was down with her back, you brought meals. When I have low points in my life and ministry, there is always someone who will call or send me a card of encouragement. Hardly a week will pass that someone doesn’t say, “Bro. Don, just want you to know that we are praying for you”. When I make a mistake, you forgive me. You have done all this for me and ministered to me and my family for 21 years! Thank you.
All of this brings me to my point for those in our church family and those who don’t have a church family. In Ezekiel 34:4, God condemns the priests of Israel for the way they are not taking care of their flock. In today’s church, under the great shepherd, we are all accountable for those in our “First Baptist Flock”. Ezekiel tells us that we need to strengthen the weak, heal the sick, bind up the injured, bring back the strays and search for the lost: those that are spiritually weak, physically sick, injured by life in the flock, those who don’t come any more and those who are not yet in the flock. This is a large task for each of us individually, but it is a task totally possible for the flock as a whole.
Thank you for being a family who cares about me, my family, and the well-being of all of the flock. Remember, relationships as brothers and sisters, as God’s children, are not only important for today but also are relationships that are eternal.
