"If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together." (1 Cor. 12:26)
The church is a support group. The church, indeed, is more than this. It would be wrong to make the church just a support group. If that is all we are, we have ceased being a church. However, the church is not less than this either. If we do not support one another, then we have also ceased being a church. To be a church is to invest in the people around you. It is to love, care, and encourage your brothers and sisters. It is to take an interest in your fellow Christians and be there for them when they need you.
What is church? It is more than an hour on Sunday. It is a group of people united in Jesus with whom we do life together. Church is more than worship. It is the time we spend together around a table. It is eating together. It is serving together. It is being in one another's homes and doing activities together. The only way we can support one another is if we know one another. It's easy to put on a mask for one hour on Sunday and everyone thinks you are fine. It is only when we break bread together and open up to one another that we can truly start being the church.
Where do we begin? Some may wonder, "Why have I never been invited to have a meal with someone?" That is not the place to start. If we all begin with that question, no one does anything and we all sit at home alone sulking. Every member must begin with their own table. We must ask ourselves, "Who am I going to invite to my table?" If having someone over to your home makes you feel uncomfortable, begin somewhere else. Bring a dish to the next fellowship meal and plan on staying. Invite someone to have lunch with you at a restaurant. Plan on grabbing a cup of coffee with someone who sits on the pew in front of you or behind you. Church is not about waiting on others to serve us. It is about us being Jesus to the people all around us.
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