Thursday, June 27, 2019
I needed this reminder of what church really is...
It is so easy to restrict our understanding of church. Placing membership in a certain congregation. Deciding what "church" to join. Worship assemblies. Ministers. Programs. Budgets. Most of that list is not even in the Bible. And worship assemblies are supposed to inspire us to go out and do loving good works. They are not supposed to be the center of our faith.
So I needed to remember that church is people. Family. People that care for each other.
So John was on an outside the U.S. vacation with his family and he did not feel good. Kept feeling worse. Ended up in the hospital. Everyone assumed they knew what the problem was and it could be fixed locally. But it was not what they thought. That's stressful. Messed up vacation. Trouble diagnosing the issue.
They decided he needed to be care flighted to the States. Stressful. Insurance paperwork, calls, and approval. More stress. Gets to hospital and Miami. Late night surgery. Time in ICU. Anxious.
This family has lots of church family that loves them. In Abilene, not Miami. Lonely. Lots of prayers offered but no one to pray over them in person.
So their friend Karene took action.
I was in California preaching when I got the message. Updates on John and his family. Reminded me that since I travel all over the world, did I know any Christians in Miami that would visit and pray over John.
I know Jim. Great conversion story. Good preacher. Loves the lost. Loves God's people.
So I contacted Jim. Told him what was going on. He had just gotten in from an overseas mission trip so I certainly would have understood if he could not help out.
But he did. Drove an hour to meet John and his wife. Prayed over them. Of course I was a mutual connection but found out he also knew one of the elders where John goes to church.
Meant the world to John and Robin. Jim saw it as something family does. Because John and Robin and I are church. Karene, John and Robin, and I are church. Jim and I are church. So Jim and John and Robin are church.
That is a picture of what church really is. Not congregations. People.
And I need to remember that.
Glad John is healing.
And thanks Karene. And thanks Jim.
Church family.
Bigger than we know.
So I needed to remember that church is people. Family. People that care for each other.
So John was on an outside the U.S. vacation with his family and he did not feel good. Kept feeling worse. Ended up in the hospital. Everyone assumed they knew what the problem was and it could be fixed locally. But it was not what they thought. That's stressful. Messed up vacation. Trouble diagnosing the issue.
They decided he needed to be care flighted to the States. Stressful. Insurance paperwork, calls, and approval. More stress. Gets to hospital and Miami. Late night surgery. Time in ICU. Anxious.
This family has lots of church family that loves them. In Abilene, not Miami. Lonely. Lots of prayers offered but no one to pray over them in person.
So their friend Karene took action.
I was in California preaching when I got the message. Updates on John and his family. Reminded me that since I travel all over the world, did I know any Christians in Miami that would visit and pray over John.
I know Jim. Great conversion story. Good preacher. Loves the lost. Loves God's people.
So I contacted Jim. Told him what was going on. He had just gotten in from an overseas mission trip so I certainly would have understood if he could not help out.
But he did. Drove an hour to meet John and his wife. Prayed over them. Of course I was a mutual connection but found out he also knew one of the elders where John goes to church.
Meant the world to John and Robin. Jim saw it as something family does. Because John and Robin and I are church. Karene, John and Robin, and I are church. Jim and I are church. So Jim and John and Robin are church.
That is a picture of what church really is. Not congregations. People.
And I need to remember that.
Glad John is healing.
And thanks Karene. And thanks Jim.
Church family.
Bigger than we know.
