"The Supporting Cast"

 

“The Supporting Cast”

 

During my college days I lived in the same off-campus house for three years with six other guys. (See “The 710 Church” for more on this home-away-from-home.) After graduation my brother Dave took my place for his last three years. One year while he was there he and his housemates adopted a verse from 1 Chronicles 26:18 (KJV): “At Parbar westward, four at the causeway, and two at Parbar.” Their intention wasn’t to play fast and loose with Scripture but add a lighter touch to their lives together.

For the past year or so my variation of Bible journaling has been to give each chapter a title. Not long ago I came to 1 Chronicles 26, which deals with the gatekeepers and guards at the temple and managing its treasury. I read the above verse from the NIV which made it much clearer: “As for the court to the west, there were four (guards) at the road and two at the court itself.” So there were security personnel to keep watch so the priests and other Levites could carry out their God-ordained ministries safely.

At the end of movies and TV shows there are credits listed citing the actors who had minor roles and those who worked on the production but they’re presented so fast we couldn’t read them even if we wanted to. So most remain anonymous. But without their participation and expertise those featured on camera couldn’t do their thing. So the “supporting cast” is indispensable.

From Day 1 Christ’s church has had a “supporting cast”. In Acts 2 people were crowded into Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Pentecost, a celebration of the completion of the wheat harvest. On that day the Holy Spirit empowered the apostles, Peter preached and 3000 were converted and baptized. As far as I can tell none are mentioned by name but they served as the leaders’ “supporting cast” as they learned, prayed and ministered to others with the result that “…the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47).

Today I know from my own pastoral experience that little would be accomplished without the “supporting cast”—those who care for the facilities, oversee financial matters, visit the sick and lonely and attend to the children to name just a few. How does this all function? Listen to the Apostle Paul: “Under (Christ’s) direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” (Ephesians 4:16, NLT, emphasis added). So let’s thank God for each one who is part of His “supporting cast”.

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan