Celebrate Your Church - The Crosswalk Devotional - September 17

Celebrate Your Church
By Michelle Lazurek

Bible Reading:
“Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you… These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” - Joshua 4:4-5:7

Plunking down the dinner plates and setting up each fork and spoon in perfect formation, I reflected on the ups and downs we had gone through in our 25 years of marriage. Our lives together had many high points. But it is also accompanied by some very low points in life. We know we wouldn't have gotten through any of that if we were not together. 

As we looked out over the balcony and watched as many of our old friends and family members gathered to celebrate our landmark anniversary, we remembered just how blessed we were to have so many people with whom we were still in touch who were championing the success of our marriage. As we walked hand-in-hand to the eruption of their applause, we sat at our table, ate our food, and danced in celebration of the many things God had done in and through us through our 25 years of marriage. 

Although the party took a lot of planning, effort, and hard work, we wouldn't have done it differently. We wanted that day to be a celebration of all the things that God had done. We tried to make the day not only about us, but also about God and what he had done. As many marriages end in divorce, we wanted to celebrate that through God's faithfulness, we had stayed together and stayed the course of God's path for us in our marriage. 

Celebration should become a normal part of every church. Cheering each other on in their spiritual journey should be infused within the DNA of every church. Not only does the church shine when it helps others in need, and cares for their sisters and brothers in Christ during times of crisis, each member should also be celebrated for their successes in the spiritual journey. 

In the same way that we wanted to celebrate our milestone of being married for twenty-five years, the church should also make a habit of celebrating each other's successes. Although churches may not be able to afford or have the workforce to put on parties for every successful event in the church, the church needs to remember all the ways God has been faithful to them over the years. 

Because churches today are often known more for what they are against rather than what they are for, churches need to be remembered as ones that celebrate their members’ successes and triumphs in life. Most of all, the celebration can be a remembrance of all that God has done in and through his church throughout the years.

What are some of the ways you remember your church members’ successes? Is there a way you can celebrate with your small group or have a yearly event where you celebrate all the milestones of what God has done? Can a church’s administrative assistant put some praise items in the bulletin? What other ways can you celebrate your brothers and sisters in Christ, or even your own successes? 

Take a moment and write in your journal all the ways God has worked in your life and your church. Take it to your small group or leader and share all the ways God has moved. Celebrate all the ways God has shown his faithfulness to you and the church, not only this year but also in the past years. Be people known to celebrate who you are, what you have done, and most importantly, who He is. 

Father, let us be churches that are known for celebration. Let us set up figurative stones of remembrance so that we can be reminded of your faithfulness on a regular basis. Help us not to forget who you are and what you have done through us. Let us work for your pleasure, not only when we care for others during times of difficulty, but also celebrate all the ways you've made them prosperous and successful. Amen.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

What is one thing you can celebrate in your life or in the life of your church? 

Further Reading:
1 Peter 3:15

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/DGLimages 

Michelle S. Lazurek is a multi-genre award-winning author, speaker, pastor's wife, and mother. She is a literary agent for Wordwise Media Services and host of The Spritual Reset Podcast. Her new children’s book Hall of Faith encourages kids to understand God can be trusted. When not working, she enjoys sipping a Starbucks latte, collecting 80s memorabilia, and spending time with her family and her crazy dog. For more info, please visit her website www.michellelazurek.com.

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