From Pastor Paul:

Back in the late sixties a group called Simon and Garfunkel wrote a song that stated, "I am a rock, I am an island." It indicated that no matter what happened to them they could stand strong and that they had isolated themselves so no one else could hurt them. It may sound like a noble statement, but in reality we are flesh and bone and we have been created as social creatures and cannot function normally without contact with other people.

I have to confess that it has been a battle in my own life to get close to others. As a pastor you feel like you need to have all the answers, all the time, and that you can never get down because you've always got to be positive. We've been taught and frankly, most people expect, their pastor to always be up, never depressed and ready with the answers they need in their lives. The truth of the matter is that no one pastor can completely and always fulfill such a role. That's because we are all human. We all need friends and someone we can confide in. That's a lesson I've learned the hard way. Over the years I've shared many of my own blunders, mistakes, and sometimes outright sins through my sermons and personal conversations. I've done that because frankly people need to know that pastors are human too. They do make mistakes and they do need friendships and understanding from others.

We need each other and the Bible has many statements giving us instructions on how to treat each other. Here are some examples:

Romans 15:7 tells us that we are to accept each other just as Christ has accepted us.

Galatians 5:13 tells us that we are to serve each other in love.

Galatians 6:2 tells us that we are to carry each other's burdens.

Colossians 3:13 tells us that we are to accept each other and forgive those things that come between us.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us that we are to encourage and build each other up.

And 1 Peter 4:9 tells us to be hospitable to each other without grumbling or complaining.

I'd say that this is a lot of proof that we need each other. Always remember that the sign and evidence of our Christian experience is that we love one another. All of these passages that talk about how we should treat our fellow believers are examples of this love. This is how the world knows that we are Christians. It isn't by how holy we are or how much we know, but how much we love our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.

See You Sunday,

Pastor Paul