The Church's First Reply

To the Key family that resides in Seattle,

This letter is penned by your close friend and leader of the small house church community that meets in my home here in Orlando. May Grace and Peace reign over your family as it reigns over the Body of Christ.

It has been so good to hear your stories through Nathan. The stories of struggles overcome and struggles endured, new lessons learned, the understanding of God's provision and so much more. These stories have been passed along to the community I serve; they have impacted the individuals that make up the community. So even though you may be isolated geographically from all of us here, the stronger and more important bond we share in Christ is very literally making it possible for you to share in my work from abroad.

I want to speak to you about some of the specifics. An idea that we cling to here in Orlando is that our Church functions in many was as a family would. It's not uncommon to hear the word "brother" or "sister" in at our gatherings for example. So while we may not share DNA, we more than make up for it with the recognition of the spiritual family where Christ is seated as the head. Establishing these deep familial bonds however, don't happen overnight as I'm sure you are aware. It's something that takes work and a great deal of dedication. So when we hear stories of other families doing just that kind of loving dedicated work we become very encouraged.

We are becoming increasingly aware of what we do well and what we need to work on. It is apparent that introspection about our function takes place in each individuals own time. Who we are as a people is something that we are very passionate about; we seek to edify our lives around the teachings of Christ and the stories laid out through the rest of the scriptures. This is something that strengthens us and brings us closer together simultaneously.  Understanding how Christ fits into the story of God in establishing a New Covenant with His people is something that propels us into understanding the character of God and how God works through covenant.  

Through covenant your family operates. The bond that you share is hung on the promise that you made through your vows to each other. So too, our lives when fully lived function out of the covenant God makes with us. This is something that much of the world has a hard time understanding. Most people have grown quite numb from the trail of broken relationships that they carry behind them. It's hard for people to believe in light of this that there is a living God out there that refuses to be left behind, that never accepts broken relationships as a modus operandi and will always pursue his people with a heart of a loving Father. You mirror the heart of God when your covenant with each other thrives.

So take hold of it every day! Think on it and press forward with the same type of passion God has for us. All of us here in Orlando think so much of your new family, especially considering the news of your new son Ethan. We pray for you as we know you pray for us and we look forward to your return.

Your Brother and fellow servant in Christ,
Seth Wright