Family Offering
Imagery can be extremely moving and motivating. The sight of certain pictures can bring to remembrance a lost loved one, invoking tears. The picture of a sunset or sunrise can remind us of the majesty of God, bringing comfort when we need it or even a smile in times of despair. The same can be said of seeing a family worship an almighty God together.
This weekend at Faith we took a proverbial giant leap forward by initiating another step in this process of Family Ministry at Faith. By seeing a family bring an offering to the Lord and lead His church in this phase of worship, we are continuing to strive toward a biblical model for all we do.
Let me explain. The Hebrew mindset of family could be described as drastically different than that of today. A family included all members that were living, from grandparents, to their children, to their children’s children, and so on. When God instructed His people to take the land of Israel, He started with a single family in the line of Abraham, and had created a great and mighty nation of families that sprung forth. As they were about to enter the land “that God gave them” He required something of them. Deut. 26:1-2, “And it shall be, when you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, 2 that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide.”
You see each family was to begin this process as a point of worship, it goes on in vv.9-10, “He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, “a land flowing with milk and honey”;10 and now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land which you, O Lord, have given me.’Then you shall set it before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord your God.”
It has been said that if you don’t bring a sacrifice to worship, then you probably haven’t worshipped. Here in the Lord’s Church this weekend we saw this very image take place. It was moving to see the image of a multi-generational family bringing an offering to the altar, just like in Deut. 26 and Lev. 1. The image of a family leading a procession of worshippers to give an offering to the Lord is some of the most powerful that I have ever seen. It is our prayer that this image straight out of the Bible moves you in a powerful way.
If you and your family are interested in leading our church in worship in this way please contact; lcarney@faithnlr.org or gmurray@faithnlr.org
I pray this image blesses you as it did me this week, and for many years to come.
God Bless,
Bro. Grant
