We once lived in the great state of Louisiana. Our congregation was attempting a bit of a comeback after once being a very large gathering. Some things we tried went well. Some things we attempted failed gloriously. The secretary was a great lady who loved baseball as much as me. Her husband worked in the local newspaper which proved to be a huge help for us. One of the things we did was to use advertisements for various events or even special services. He assisted us in getting a little better rate on our purchases. I once decided to run some ads for a series of sermons. My topic was "If Jesus is our friend, then why do we feel lonely?" Our ad ran for a few days prior to the following Sunday. It struck a nerve apparently before we even got to talk about it.

My phone rang one day after the advertisements began to run. It was someone that I did not know or ever met. Their call to me was about the very thing we stated in the paper. They talked to me about an overwhelming sense of sadness born of being alone. It was not someone who was not a believer but said they were involved in a congregation. No name was ever given during our conversation. I cannot tell you if our visit changed anything. Perhaps this individual didn't even come to our service. But my best guess is they are not alone when it comes to relationships even among Christians. I know my mind wonders sometimes about how many are sitting in the pew while feeling completely alone. We still sing about Jesus as our friend but can we say that about our human fellowship?

We humans tend to fracture friendships without much thought as to the cost. Simple disagreements within the church far too often become lifelong grudges overflowing with bitterness. Cliques develop based on selfish motives rather than following the guidelines of scripture. How often have I entered into a building to lead a service only to realize that more than the middle aisle divides the membership? This will always be the source of my greatest sadness in my career. No amount of sermons or studies seems able to bridge the gap between angry believers. The amazing thing to me is how often either person will claim the biblical advantage in holding on to bitterness. People who talk about all of us being in heaven together will spend their time on earth keeping others at arms length. We do have a friend in Jesus. When will we ever let that relationship lead us into every other one that we have?

Bro. Trey