A New Year

I had a great Christmas and a great New Years...but it was a hard holiday season. I realized how much the church in South Asia was my family. I missed them as much as I missed my family when I was there. I wanted to celebrate with them. I missed being with them, praying with them, sharpening them, being sharpened by them. In short, I just missed them. And I wondered why our churches in America don't always feel like a family. What are we missing? Instead of celebrating the holiday together as a family, why do we cancel church two or three times in the midst of the holiday vacation? In South Asia, during the holiday, they celebrate together...because for many of them, the church is their family. They don't have any other family. And I think that we lose some of that feeling here in America...and for that reason, we lose a blessing. In the new testament church, they dined together, lived life together, prayed together. What would life look like if we here in America did that? But if it was more than a social hour? What if it was a recharge time. What if we came together, learned from each other, loved each other, encouraged each other, helped each other, and prepared each other for the time when we went out and lived in a lost world, shining the light of Jesus to those around us? Do I think the church in South Asia is perfect? No. Do I think the church in America is perfect? No. Do I think they can learn from each other? Definitely. And that is my prayer for the new year.