Nobody Visited

Maybe I should pause here and explain a few things going on to those who may not be aware. I've been an elder in my church for 9 years. I can think of no greater honor or higher responsibility. We choose elders for 3 year term, and they must get an 80% approval vote by the congregation to take office. Yes, that is a fairly high standard. This election I failed to get 80%.

That was mid-November. The Sunday following Thanksgiving the elders voted to ask the Preacher for his resignation. I was out of town for Thanksgiving and was unable to make it back in time for the meeting. Last night the board voted to accept his resignation.

There are a lot of hurt people in our church right now. Lots of misunderstandings. And it has caused me to set back and kind of reflect on things and go through some of what I've written since taking the office of elder. 9 years ... it really does not seem that long.

Here is a communion meditation I used 4-29-99:

I read a magazine article this week that had one sentence that really jumped out and grabbed me. The March/April Christian Reader had an article titled “House Fire!” It was written by a lady in Tennessee about a tragedy that struck their family about 25 years ago. Their house caught fire in the middle of the night. Both parents were injured trying to rescue their children. They lost one child in the blaze.

Let me quote one paragraph, written in her own words: ”I stayed in the hospital eight days and had eight units of blood. Not one church member as I recall visited me. An unbelieving friend of mine come by the hospital to sit with me while the family all went to the funeral.”

That one sentence, “Not one church member as I recall visited me.” Has really hit a soft spot the last couple days. As I looked over the prayer list from last week I saw 5 people in the hospital. I saw eight more in nursing homes. I didn’t count the “Family and Friends” list. How many of these could say not one church member visited me?

We had at least two folks in the congregation in the hospital this week. One had heart catheterization, another had surgery. How many of these could say not one church member visited me?

We have elderly folks who have trouble getting around the house. Not just getting to church, but getting to the kitchen table at times. How many of these could say not one church member visited me?

Before somebody thinks I am getting boastful of what I have done, I have to admit I didn’t go either. But that doesn’t make it right.

We have a nice building. We have a missions program that is fantastic for a church this size. We just had a great Ladies Night. Folks, it doesn’t mean a thing if we lose sight of the basics.
In Matthew chapter 22 Jesus was asked, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

Jesus replied: " `Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

We can’t let our successes and our programs get in the way on the basics, Loving God and each other. This is one of the reasons we partake in the Lord’s Supper, or communion, every week

Communion is basic . The why of communion has not changed over the centuries, and will not change. The bread is to remind us of Jesus body, the juice is to remind us of his blood. We take part in this ceremony to remember, to honor, Jesus and His sacrifice for us. We do it in remembrance of Him. Let us also love each other, in remembrance of Him.