The Pastor's Corner

Formed for God’s Family
January 29, 2004
By Rev. Todd Crofford
Sr. Pastor
Laurel Wesleyan Church

Perhaps a few years ago you saw the movie Castaway starring Tom Hanks. In the film, Hanks’ character is the only survivor of a FedEx crew that crashes in the Pacific and he ends up marooned on a desolate island for years.

One day some of the boxes from the crash float up onto the beach and amongst them Hanks finds a soccer ball. He promptly takes the ball back to his dwelling and proceeds to revolutionize its appearance to look like a person. He names the ball Wilson, and this becomes the means of dialogue for much of the remainder of the movie.

But the writers wanted to communicate something beyond just an object for Hanks discussions. The actions of this castaway remind us that we weren’t meant to be alone. We were made to be in relationships. Within the purposes of God for your life there is a word for this; it is called fellowship.

God created you to be involved in a two-way loving relationship with him. When you live that way, you do not do so within a vacuum. Rather, we worship God with our lives within a community of faith that serves as a form of family. God planned for you to be in his family.

Now every person on the face of the earth who has ever ventured into God’s family has a war story about some awful event that happened in a local church. Frankly, my church is no more perfect than the next, but that does not allow us the freedom to dismiss the family of God as unnecessary.

In fact, the church is more than just necessity to us. It can and should become precious to us. In spite of all its peccadilloes, the Bible reminds us that “Jesus loved the church and gave his life up for her.” If God loves the church that much and I claim to love God, then I cannot refuse to learn to love the people of God.

In addition to learning to love the church, we must also realize that God made us to serve within that family. Another expression for the family of God is the body of Christ. Just as within the human body every part has a purpose; within the body of Christ God has some way for you to serve. Whether you attend a small church or a large one, you bring a unique perspective, a personal history, some gift or talent that God wants to use right in that local body.

God is not haphazard in his planning for your life. In fact, the Bible says in the book of I Corinthians, “God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” Since God has arranged for you to serve him within the context of the body where you worship, make sure you fulfill that purpose he has for your life.

Sometimes things can get frustrating at any church, but remember that the church can be a lot like a Globe variety grape. Even though it is a large, luscious and juicy grape, it has seeds. Just eat the grape and spit out the seeds.

So be faithful to be at your church and to serve at your church. Recognize that we are to be steadfast and undeterred in fulfilling the work that God has purposed us to do. And in the middle of it all remember to thank God for the beauty of His family.

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