You don’t have to hang around LFA for long before you hear someone talking about our desire to grow into a healthy spiritual family. It is a lovely goal and certainly one that is at the center of God’s heart and work in His people. Jesus Himself, just hours before the cross was to be his, asked the Father to bring Jesus’ followers into a unity that more closely reflected the way God Himself functions as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
I love this and I aspire to live as a better brother to others. I know many at LFA who have embraced the same dream and I believe many more individuals who are ready to join this wonderful party.
However, like a long journey to a preferred destination, there are some switchbacks and potholes along the way to a robust spiritual family that we should acknowledge and common to the process and be prepared to meet. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his classic work, Life Together, simply shared that if a person wishes to become part of a true spiritual family, that person will need to set aside their own dreams of what that would like and embrace the mess and grace of doing life together.
So, I’ve been thinking a bit about the bumps and potholes that will be part of our journey together at LFA. Over the years I’ve become aware that becoming a spiritual family is messy, hard work for any who want to live into it. The pathway to spiritual family needs to be intentionally trod and requires heavy doses of trust, reflective listening, intercession, commitment to work through things, the grace of forgiveness, and just lots of time laughing and eating together.
May I encourage us to not over idealize what spiritual family looks like but rather trust the effective intercession of Jesus and then engage, with grace, the participation with Father that graces us to become, see, and live into the heart our Savior envisioned for His spiritual family.
Let’s talk about it. The adventure awaits.
—George Davis
*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.