God’s Peace be with you all.

Matthew 25:40 40 And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'

In these verses Jesus is referring to himself, on the day that the Son of Man returns to rule over all the earth. Jesus used this parable to express something that I think was extremely close to him, that being the concept of family. Everyone has a family, whether related by blood or not. As Christians, we all are a part of a larger family called The One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. We are all members of this family through our baptisms, in which we receive God as our heavenly Father, and recognize ourselves as a child of God. Along with being a member in the One Church in which Christ is the head, we are a part of a smaller family, one that is denoted by the word “Lutheran”. Our synod is a part of the family of the ELCA, and our congregation is a part of the family of the South Carolina Synod. Moreover, we are also a family within our congregation. This is a place in which being a family can be a good thing. We know each other personally; we know each other’s gifts, talents, strengths, and sometimes even weaknesses. But this is also a place in which being a tight-knit family can have some troubled spots. My friend Nathan Frambach writes in his book Emerging Ministry, Being Church Today: “Congregations that desire chiefly to be like a family can all too easily value privacy and intimacy above all else. This makes life easy for the insider who knows the code language (e.g., LBW and WOV) and the particular quirks of church life (when to sit and stand, who sits in which pew), but it makes life very difficult and uncomfortable for the outsider, the stranger, the newcomer.”

I think my friend Nathan is right, but at the same time, I think he is wrong. I know there are congregations in the SC Synod which are so big that you could walk in and get easily lost. Furthermore, it could take weeks, maybe months before you got to know everyone. However, at Springs of Grace, we have an advantage. I look at our congregation and I see a close-knit family. However, I see a family that walks around with open arms, welcoming whoever walks through the door. I see a family that is EXCITED when someone new walks in the door, and I see a family that is open to new ideas. This is what I think Jesus was talking about in Matthew 25. As a family, one that is rooted in the good news of the Gospel, we are to be open, and welcoming, and loving, and caring to anyone else who is also a member of our family. As a stranger in the Boiling Springs area, and in a way an outsider, Springs of Grace has the opportunity to set the bar high, to set an example, and to be a place that is open to all. So far, we are doing great. I hope that as we gain some members of the congregation (hopefully we will have 5 join us the first Sunday in September!!), we will remember that we are to constantly show our love, friendship, and caring nature to whomever walks through those red doors.

In the hospital and our prayers this week: Alma Uhrhammer (Regional 444)

God’s Peace, Pastor Judson