As the Family of God...

church bulletin for Year C: Holy Family

Thank God for the birth of Jesus! Because of his birth, you and I have the privilege of being born into the family of God, but this comes with some responsibilities. With the prestigious title of a child of God, how should we live?

In Colossians 3:12-17, the apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:12–17).

As the family of God, the first thing someone sees when they look at us is compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and love. We love because he first loved us. We are compassionate and merciful because he is compassionate and merciful.

Everything we do, whether something we say or a deed we preform, should be done with the name of Jesus in mind. Peace, thankfulness, and the word of Christ dwell in us because we are the family of God. The question is whether or not we allow these blessings to manifest themselves in our lives. When we live in this way, we will be patient with each other and quick to forgive those who wrong us.

This kind of life produces joy, peace, and love in the family of God. Clothe yourselves in Christ!

This post is part of a series on weekly bulletins for the church for the church which I serve as minister.