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The Church as Family

One of the most frequent comparisons I hear is that church is like a family. That is often the goal of many churches, to create a family environment where people feel welcome and included. This is a sentiment I agree with, but I also think that we often don't realize what we are asking for.

Families, by their very nature, bear responsibility.

When we say family, what we mean is a place of warmth and caring. What we usually don't mean is vulnerability. We want the picturesque TV family, where all the problems are solved by supper and there is no lasting stakes. This isn't the kind of family church is meant to be.

Church is a real family. Real families don't always get along. Real families see the ugly side of each member. Real families have to work through their problems over the course of years. Real families are vulnerable.

Warmth and care are easy when everyone pretends to have it all together. How much more impactful would it be if in our churches we showed that same love to the vulnerable and the hurting? What if we treated our church family as a real family?

What if we came to the aid of our brothers and sisters in Christ the way we do for our blood family? What if we were as honest with one another as we often are with our siblings or parents? What if we never gave up on each other, no matter how dark and horrid the sin may be?

I believe that the church is a family, a real family. As we strive towards the goal let us be honest with one another, confessing our sins  as James instructs us to do. Let us trust in one another, be there for one another, and just love one another the way a family does.

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