"Thank you!" "No, thank you!" That's the polite and loving exchange that took place each Sunday for many years in front of the old Lutheran church. In bygone days without lifts, ramps, or elevators, four hearty men would walk down the flight of ten steps, and on count, grab and lift the four corners of the wheelchair of a dear aged member and carry her up to God's house—the gate of heaven. Together the four accomplished what neither she nor each individual could have done alone. Then the exchange of thanks for the service, for the opportunity to serve.

That is how the Body of Christ works—together. St. Paul wrote about Christ's Church, "Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us," (Romans 12:4-6a). St. Paul restated this concept: "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ...Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it" (1 Corinthians 12:12,27). This Body does work together. Each part is important to the whole body. Each part does its part.

What is true for the Christian Church is also true for your congregation and your synod. How we are encouraged when, "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it," (1 Corinthians 12:26). That is why we inform people about the things that are happening within our immediate fellowship and our greater fellowship. How our efforts are blessed and work together when we fold our hands in prayer, roll up our sleeves in work, and offer our gifts on the altar—where we are now and where others are across the miles—to do that work the risen Jesus has given us to do. He also has promised us the wherewithal and His presence to do it!.

Imagine how Christ's work would go if we did not have each other; if each of us had to carry on the Great Commission, alone! Elijah's downcast heart was lifted up by the Lord with the good news that he wasn't alone, that 7,000 others had been kept in the true faith and were serving the true God. We, dear Christians, have the pure Word and the blessed Sacraments; we have the common purposes of going with the Gospel into all the world—every single one of us—and growing in faith in the Gospel; we have our dear Savior with us; and we have each other to do and use all these blessings! 

What an honor Jesus has bestowed on us that He made us part of His Body, the holy Christian Church, and that He brought us together into our local and synodical family of believers! We are in this together, through thick and thin, bane or blessing, hard work and peaceful rest, through tears to triumph, through pain to paradise. David states, "God sets the lonely in families," (Psalm 68:6). Because God does this, we share together a comfort and certainty in Jesus and a joint Kingdom stewardship, as He has blessed each of us separately.

Wise Solomon wrote, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). We need and we have each other. It's better for us, together! It is best because the love of Jesus on the cross is our binding strand.

Thank you, Jesus! And thanks to each other. Keep us together!

David Russow serves as a home missionary through Redeeming Grace, Rogers, Minnesota, and as the Chairman of the ELS Board for Stewardship