EMANUEL CHURCH OF CHRIST IN JACKSON: LET'S FOLLOW A PATH OF EACH ONE REACH ONE

The Rev. Samuel E. Roethemeyer is the pastor of Emanuel United Church of Christ in Jackson. He is a native of Nashville, Ill. He is a graduate of Greenville College, Greenville, Ill., and is also a graduate of Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves. The Rev. Roethemeyer has served parishes in Olney, Dundas, and Trenton, Ill. He has been pastor of Emanuel since June of 1988.

I always like reading those verses from the Gospel of Luke (15: 3-7) that contain Jesus' message about the Shepherd finding the One Lost Sheep. You and I are important in spite of what our culture and time conveys to us. We have been brainwashed into thinking that the crowds and the enormous groups of people are important.

It is the thousands and maybe even millions of people who are starving who catch our attention for a little while but the one starving person is ignored. To us it is only a disaster when many people are affected while a single disaster victim is ignored.

We think that in worship gatherings one person or two does not make any difference so we use this as an excuse to refrain from gathering on Sundays or at other times.

You are encouraged to think after this manner "I am important to God because I am a child of God; I am important to others because I am their sister or brother. I am important to the church because the church is other individuals (one person) like me."

While visiting the nursing home, I was talking to several people when a little girl at my side kept pointing and saying, "there, there." At first I was not sure what the little girl was trying to tell me. The little girl insisted that I look over there. What I found when I looked to my right was a person reaching out to take my hand to greet me; or was she a person lost and lonely reaching out for someone to touch her and assure her that she was important and loved by someone.

In World Literacy, Dr. Frank Laubach founded a great program called "Each One Teach One" to read. In our Christian Life lets follow the path "Each One Reach One!" There is only one person who can put that into effect. It is not your neighbor, it is not a family member or friend. It is you! It is me!

As you reach up in prayer and worship, reach out to someone. The message of the "Importance of One" was valid when Jesus spoke those words. It is true and important even in our day!