Being the Church in North America

Do you have that one friend who just brings a whole new level of fun and laughter to your group? For me, that was Jerry. He was hilarious, and everyone had a great time with him. Unfortunately, he transferred to another school district, and I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye. Let me tell you, it was not the same without him.

Have you ever noticed how every brick in a house is dependent on another? Well, the same can be said for us as the Church. The Bible says we are “being built into a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5). We’re all designed to be an important part of something bigger than ourselves, so when someone’s missing, we feel it. When Jerry left, I thought I would have a closer relationship with my other friend, Sam. But it didn’t work out that way. It turns out that there was something only Jerry could bring out in Sam, and with him gone, I had less of Sam too.

It takes a group of friends to know each individual friend more fully. How much more true is that in our relationship to God? It’s easy to think that we can have a meaningful relationship with God without the Church, but that’s not what the Bible says. You can’t know God by yourself. Philip, a disciple of Jesus, asked a man in Acts 8:30, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The man answered, “How can I unless someone explains it to me?” The Church is God’s gift to us so we may all grow in faith.

And this is not just for our own sake, but for the sake of the world too. As the Church, we’re called to join in on the work of drawing people into God’s kingdom. How do we do that?
One way is to be a good friend. Do you realize that in Christ you have salvation from sin and death, peace with God through the forgiveness of sins, and guidance from the Holy Spirit into all truth? That’s a lot! The people around you probably don’t describe their desires in this way, but they are desperate for these things you have in abundance. We have plenty to share with those around us, but how?

The story of Peter and John in chapter 21 of John’s Gospel might free us to be good friends. There Jesus tells Peter he is going to die by crucifixion. Yikes! That is hard to take! Peter sees John walking by and asks Jesus, “What about him? How is he going to die?” Part of Jesus’ answer is, “What’s that to you?” Peter did not need to know what was going to happen to John and you don’t need to know God’s plan for those around you. That little tidbit frees us from judging, and allows us to trust that Jesus has all things under his control.

Jesus Christ has a plan for every person. You don’t know that plan and you don’t need to. Jesus goes on to answer Peter’s question, saying, “You follow me.” May we simply be a loving, caring, compassionate Church redeemed to follow Jesus.

ANDREW LARSEN serves as Pastor of Ebenezer Lutheran Brethren Church, Minneapolis, MN.