Family - The Body of Christ

Last night was a great night!
The praise and worship of God was intense and sincere, just the way I prefer it.
Pastor Sauad preached an excellent message (stole a lot of my thunder for a message God has been stirring in my heart - guess I will have to keep praying, meditating and allow God to give me more direction.  Good to know that we're on the same page with the Holy Spirit though. : ) about how we are all Family in the Body of Christ.  And as a family, we should know each other, know what each person is going through, and be there for them.  Not lip service, but truly be there with them in the middle of the fight.

At the close of the service he asked everyone to find at least 3 people that they did not know and start getting to know them, exchange cell numbers, and commit to praying for them and getting to know them.  We took time to pray for each other, share, worship together, and more.  It was an awesome time and there were a lot of people exchanging cell phone numbers at the end.

Coming from a more individualistic culture of N. America, I thought, this would never work.  People will not get out of their comfort zone, actually talk to people they don't know well, exchange phone numbers with them, and even pray with them when they don't really know them very well, right?  Even Jujuy, with it's traditional Latin Culture that is more collectively focused than the majority of us in N. America, I still didn't think people would do it...but they did!  And I was thrilled!  It's as Biblical as biblical gets.

God has been burning it into my heart that we who have found ourselves together in this relationship with have with Jesus are just that - Family.  As I read through the Scriptures with new focus, I am shocked at how I could have missed it so much before.  Everywhere you look you see...
Love ONE ANOTHER
Serve ONE ANOTHER
Help ONE ANOTHER
Forgive ONE ANOTHER
Bless ONE ANOTHER
Be patient with ONE ANOTHER
Be kind to ONE ANOTHER
And the list goes on and on and on.
As of late, I have been focusing on some of Paul's Letters to the various communities where he had planted churches and everywhere I look I see phrases of total inclusion like...
ALL OF YOU
EVERYONE OF YOU
TOGETHER
EACH ONE
etc, etc.

The hang out time afterwards was awesome & there was a lot of talk of ministry to people in the community with great need.  - I think that we all recognize need, but it overwhelming when trying to tackle it by yourself.  But, when we know that we are all in it together, there is energy, encouragement, excitement...synergy!  Now we know that we can do it and not only survive, but thrive.

And as a very tangible living it out, I loaded way too many people into our STL SUV and drove over to a lady's house from the church whose mother had just died and they were conducting a wake.  We all piled in to the house to spend time with the family, show our support, and honor their mother.  It did not matter that it was already close to midnight and we stayed until 2 am.  That is culture here.  There were still a lot of people in the house when I finally started taking people home.  - That in itself is another adventure : )  I'll save stories like that for another day.

Go love on people around you.
Don't be shy.  Start the new and improved culture.  The culture God intended : )

God bless & give you His strength
Paz, poder, y el amor de Dios sean con TODOS USTEDES -