Helping Each Other

On Sunday evening, at the end of worship, I had to smile to myself. As we finished the last song, someone was assigned to come up and give the dismissal prayer. Apparently, that someone wasn't there or didn't know they had been assigned. As the song leader stepped off to the side waiting, there was a pause. Then two men simultaneously stepped into the aisle to fill 'someone's' place. The one further back realized it was taken care of and stepped back into the pew. And I smiled.

I didn't smile to laugh at the situation. I smiled because when I saw them step up, it occurred to me that God gave us a great family. There is always someone there to step in where we leave off. When we fail in some way, there is always someone to pick us up. It's part of being a family that loves and cares for each other. Part of a family that is a team, working together without discussing it beforehand, just doing and being there for each other without words.

That's the kind of unity I think Jesus may have been referring to, at least in part, and asking God the Father to bless us with. And I think having that relationship with each other is part of the reason we were commanded not to miss the assembly. It is the blessing of family in Christ. That's what my smile meant.