If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

— 2 Corinthians 5:17

Tomorrow is Sunday, and many Christians throughout the world will attend a worship service at their church. Others may meet in homes or other private places, especially if public worship is not allowed.In North America, where I live, we are blessed to have many churches where the Word of God is preached and the good news of Jesus is central. These church communities help believers focus on loving the Lord and loving their neighbors in their everyday living.If you are part of a church like that, you probably see friends and family members there each week, along with others who have been there to support you in tough times and to celebrate with you in happy times.You may see clusters of older folks, middle-age parents, and teens interacting with each other. And you’ll probably see children running off steam in the hallways. There may also be a family group celebrating a baptism or an anniversary.There will also be some people you might not agree with—say, over a ministry program or the kind of music used in worship —and you’ve learned that in God’s family you can get along, despite such differences.In all of this you will see a collection of new creations, people whose faith, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, marks them as “in Christ.” And in them you will see that God is building a new creation, the remaking of his broken world.

Lord, all who are in your family are new creations in Christ. May we worship you together faithfully and see you at work, continually re-creating your world. Amen.