When I first began my Christian journey, I can remember everyone that was not a minister or deacon being call Sister or Brother so and so. Lately, we have done a way with those practices. I think we need to bring it back.
I can remember thinking to myself, "why are we calling folks that are clearly not my relatives, Sister and Brother." whatever the reason, I did it out of respect.
Today, I think I understand why those practices were put in place. It so important to recognize the member of your church as your family. A lot of time they are the only family we have that is close by. some of us have families that are in other states
I have been at the same church for nearly 30 years. I have seen this church grow from little corner church to a church that stretched nearly a whole block. What I love about it is that we still refer to each other as a church family. The church has grown to be a 500+ membership congregation, however our Pastors take the time to show some type of love the members. The bishop of our church has an open door policy. I think the first lady/ co pastor knows the name of everyone who walks through the door. The 8 am pastor every Sunday walks around the church welcoming and greeting the congregation.
Although we have gotten away from referring to one another as sister or brother, we make a conscious effort to keep a family atmosphere.
In our natural families, we love each in our rights and our wrongs. We are encouraged to stick together and love on each other. If you have a problem with someone worked it out, hugged and let it go. If the problem can not be worked out amongst the sisters and brothers, the big brother/ sister in charge listens to the issue and works out a solution. When big brother/ sister can't work it out, we take it to Mom or Dad.
In the church if we thought of each others as brothers or sister, we may be able to decrease the large amount of "church hurt" in church...We have to learn to work out our issues with one another, hug and move on. We have to love each other unconditionally.
Jesus say that the greatest commandment is love God and love our neighbor. Jesus said how can you love him whom you never seen and hate your brother.
1 Corinthian 13:4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails.
