The church is like family, extended family. Families, as we know, come
in various shapes, sizes and configurations! A lovely thing about
church life is that this extended family means that we develop with
others a bond of fellowship that runs deeply and strongly.
This image of our mutual connectedness is expressed throughout the Bible.
In 1 Peter 2 we read, “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises
of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you
were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not
received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
Our identity as the people of God is spoken of in the most exalted terms.
We are chosen, set apart; we are a priesthood – interceding on behalf of
the world; we are a proclaiming community – declaring the wonderful works
of God to a 21st century public. This imagery goes back to the formative
times of exodus in the Old Testament, but they are powerful images still
today.
Being part of such a community is an overwhelming privilege. Sometimes
people express the thought that the church is not needed to have faith.
They will take the faith but not the church. Well, I suppose on a purely
individual level there is truth in that. However, from a New Testament
standpoint all who have faith in Christ are the church, inextricably
linked to other fellow disciples. It’s not an add-on or an optional
extra, church is who we are, we cannot escape it.
And it’s because we are extended family that we are also able to extend
our family further! Our extensions fan out into the broader community
linking with people here and there and opening avenues for people to link
on and be part of the same family of God. We call this mission or
evangelism. It happens naturally and it happens intentionally, but
it happens best when all of us see that we are representatives of God’s
family –  of the extended family of St Lukes and of all God’s people
everywhere.
As we move into the future, then, may we continue to build up and
strengthen our community of faith – our extended family – in all our
diversity held together by the presence of Jesus in our midst.

phil.hurwood@stlukesfrankston.com.au