March 2026
“A Community That Carries One Another”
“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
(1 Corinthians 12:26–27)
A few days ago, we had a very sunny day—unusual for February. I heard the sound of stream water in front of my house from the melting snow. Ah, perhaps no more snow—hopefully spring is not far away. Then I heard that Superior has two feet of snow. Not yet here? But we will wait and see.
March is a month of in-between. Winter has not fully loosened its grip, yet we begin to sense that spring is coming. Beneath the frozen ground, life is quietly preparing to rise.
Lent is like that. On the surface, it may seem quiet, even somber. But underneath, God is doing holy work—softening hearts, deepening faith, teaching us again what it means to belong to Christ and to one another.
March is also Membership Month in our parish. When we hear the word “membership,” we may think of names on a list or promises made long ago. But in the body of Christ, membership is something much deeper and more beautiful. It means we belong to one another.
The apostle Paul writes, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Corinthians 12: 26-27). To belong to Christ is to be joined to His body. No one stands alone. No one walks alone. When one part rejoices, all rejoice. When one part suffers, all suffer together.
Recently, I was reminded of this truth in a powerful way. When someone experiences illness or hardship, it is often the quiet, faithful acts of others—meals delivered, cards written, prayers whispered, rides offered—that become the visible hands of Jesus. What one person cannot carry alone, a community can carry together.
Scripture tells us clearly: “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). We are one body, formed by the love of Christ. We have experienced this as a community. When the Steck family was in a car accident, the whole church and community gathered—offering financial support, prayers, and united hearts to surround them with care. When the Shellito family lost loved ones and everything they owned in a fire, we wept together, grieved together, prayed together, and held them in our shared compassion. This is what it means to be one body in Christ—a faith community joined together as His members.
Membership is not about status; it is about shared responsibility and shared grace. It is about showing up—for worship, for service, for prayer, and for one another. It is about saying, “Your joy matters to me. Your sorrow matters to me. Your faith journey matters to me.”
And sometimes, it means allowing others to carry us.
That can be the hardest part. We often prefer to be strong, independent, and self-sufficient. Yet even Jesus accepted help carrying His cross (Mark 15:21). If our Lord received help in His hour of need, how much more should we allow one another to walk beside us?
In this Lenten season, as we reflect on Christ’s sacrificial love, may we also reflect on the gift of belonging. We are not a collection of individuals who happen to gather in the same building. We are a covenant community. We are a family formed by grace.
The writer of Hebrews encourages us: “Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together… but encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:24–25).
That is membership.
Encouraging one another.
Carrying one another.
Growing together.
As we move toward Easter, may we renew not only our personal faith, but also our commitment to this body of Christ. Beneath the surface, God is growing something beautiful among us. And together, we will see new life rise.
With gratitude to belong with you in Christ,
Pastor Jenny