Some years ago, I had the privilege of spending a week with a congregation in central Minnesota providing leadership for a New Life Mission. This was a program of our General Board of Evangelism during which, after a period of preparation involving small group study and prayer on the part of the local church, a "missioner" was invited to spend a week of preaching and teaching with the local church Following each of the evening services there was a opportunity for a "Chat Back" session with the guest preacher.
It was at the beginning of the Chat Back after the final service. I had made some comments of appreciation for our time together and the response of the congregation and summed this up with the Scripture verse about "being a stranger and you welcomed me." At that point, one of the members - a rather large gentleman - seated in the back of the room interrupted and said, "You've got that wrong, preacher! There's no such thing as a stranger in the family of God. There are only brothers and sisters whom we haven't met yet!"
And he was absolutely right! Since that time, I've been blessed over and over again with opportunities to meet - in varied locations and settings, - some of my sisters and brothers in God's family. Our time together has been and is one of those opportunities and I am thankful for it. Different in personality and ability we might be as individuals, nevertheless we come together in our response to the call of God in our life and the differences blend together as we worship and serve in the name of our common Lord.
I remember seeing a cartoon in which there were two small stacks of hay. In between were two donkeys tied together with a rope around their necks. The first picture shows each donkey pulling toward one of the stacks and, of course, not getting anywhere. The next picture shows the two donkeys, still tied together, easting at one of the stacks and there is no sign of the other one. The point is obvious. In working together on an issue at at time, the job gets done. So Paul could write to the Christians of his day, "as laborers together". So it is to be in these two congregations: "laborers together, working in the name of Christ at the opportunities for ministry and service which are before us."