12-16-2021

       Good Morning All!

           Acts 2:42; “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” 

    Do you remember that little ditty you use to say in nursery class or for your grandmother? “Here is the church and here is the steeple; open up the door and look at all the people!”  You would fold your hands together, and then you put your two index fingers up as the steeple. Next you would rotate your hands and wrists to wiggle your fingers to be the people. It is so easy to make a church when you are 3 or 4; why is it so difficult when you are 30 or 40?

    There has to be a need and then, and only then, can a church be planted.  Of course, after that comes the articles of incorporation, which need to be passed by the congregation, then accepted by the state, then approved by the district and synod. Then we are a church!!

     Unfortunately, this is how many people view it. It is all mechanical in nature; it is all about the physical or visual effect. It is about numbers; about how big or how many or how often events in the church occur. Some go so far as to be everything to everyone and to have everything go on at the church. Unfortunately, this makes the church just one big social club. This is not the true church at all.

    The true church, which is the body of Christ, has nothing to do with a building or even a human plan. It has everything to do with the Spirit of God and how the Spirit expresses himself in the world through the physical hands of believers. That is kind of a wordy statement so let us look at it a little by looking at our verse. Notice what the believers do; they pray, they celebrate fellowship with the breaking of bread (communion) and studying the teachings of the apostles.

    The true Church is God’s people at work but what is our work? First it is studying the Word of God and praying. This is the holy conversation we have with God. We listen (the Word) then we speak (prayer). This interaction keeps us actively engaged with God. Yet that is only part, we need to meet in fellowship and the breaking of bread in order to stay connected to our fellow Christians.  This is how we get the support of the Holy Spirit; this is how the Word becomes flesh now. The Spirit moves our Christian brothers and sisters to admonish, comfort, console and uplift us. By being filled with the Spirit, God will move us to serve him.

    All of this is not meant to completely demean church plans, committees, or programs.  It is meant to ask a question; why do we do it? We should do them because we have prayerfully considered the needs around us and how God wants to use us to meet these needs. Above all we need to pray, pray first, for all those in need.  They we pray that God will lead us to the way we should help those in pain. We do not do programs to make us look good but to respond to God’s grace. Above all, pray for each other, pray for those in need.  Pray with some of your friends during the week if you can. Try and meet to pray and study God’s Word; to engage in this holy conversation. It can be in your home, at coffee one day, in a break room but try to pray with each other in fellowship together.

Dearest Father, build your Church through us. Use us to be your hands and your voice in a world that so desperately needs to hear you. Keep us close to you through your Word drawing us to prayer to you. This we ask in Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen         

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret