Members together with one another

Posted by Alan Knox on Oct 9, 2011 in edification, gathering, personal | 1 comment

For the last few days (and for the next few days), our family and some friends are in Williamsburg, VA. This morning we gathered together with some brothers and sisters in Williamsburg.

I’ve known Danny for a few years. Last year, he and I even traveled to Ethiopia together with Dave Black. About a month after we returned from Ethiopia, Danny moved back to Williamsburg. One of the reasons that we came to Williamsburg was to spend time with Danny and his family and some of the brothers and sisters in Christ that he had met.

This morning we had a chance to get together with them. We sang together, prayed together, read Scripture together, and encouraged and edified one another together. We shared the bread and cup together and ate salad, spaghetti, and sausage and peppers together. We sat around outside and enjoyed the fall afternoon and continued our conversations and fellowship.

Even though we live in North Carolina and they live in Virginia, we immediately recognized ourselves as and spent time together as members together with one another. Members of what? Members of some man-made designation of “local church” with whatever name we might give it? No. Co-members of the church – the body of Christ – not through some distinction or decision of man, but because we are all children of God and therefore brothers and sisters to one another.

What a great day so far! I thank God for the brothers and sisters (the church) that we gathered with this morning. Some of them I knew; some I had never met before. But, we were all members together with one another.