The saying, “A family that prays together stays together,” came to mind this past weekend while attending my wife’s family reunion in Galena Kansas. There are several things about family reunions I really like.
First, there is always food around. Morning, noon, and night, food, food, and more food. Secondly, there are places to visit and things to see. Catching up with family members and getting to know them better. There is also the opportunity to meet a new addition to the family whether by marriage or by birth. However, what I really enjoy the most is ending the weekend with Sunday morning worship and prayer.
It is a powerful thing to get together with family with whom you share a bond by being relatives but to also share a bond of Jesus Christ makes ties to family members even more powerful. “A family that prays together stays together” no matter how many miles lie between each other.
Family reunions reunite the young and old alike in one gathering place to share the past, present and future. It’s not only sharing, but being loving and considerate of one another in spite of our differences. There is also growing in knowledge by learning the family history.
A church is made up of family by the shared bond of the blood of Jesus Christ. With this shared bond we come to know one another better and look to the interest of others first and foremost. We don’t look to find fault or demean one another, but instead we look to encourage.
In Philippians 2:1-2 Paul says, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”
Resource(s): Personal Bible study and the Bible (NIV)
