Another church nearby gave us their old hymnals, which are just like our current ones. On the inside of the first book that I pulled out of the first box was an inscription that said it was given in honor of my grandmother, from my aunt and uncle.
Now, this seems like an amazing coincidence, until you know that my grandmother and her family went to that church for many years. I'm honestly not surprised that it says something like that...if I go through the rest of the books probably a few more would say something very similar.
Church really is family. I almost typed in 'something like' family, but in fact, yes, it IS family. Not only do I have blood relations with many people in many different churches, but I also have people whom I have known in the church far better than my own blood family. This weekend we went to a funeral for an old dear friend who passed away suddenly on New Years' Eve. At the funeral we saw many people I had spent four years with while living in that town...couples for whom I had done their wedding, families that I had gone on trips with, people whom I had known years ago and look no different today. They are still my family, even though I never see them.
The blood of Christ brings us together. And if the church is blood family as well, so more the better.
