Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help . . . 12 And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."
Acts 1:14 All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
Since my ordination, one idea and theme has come to greatly influence my thoughts, writings and sermons, family. Last Thursday, I wrote, “I believe Christians, by our faith in Jesus as the Christ, are united in a family of faith.” This morning, as I began my own personal devotional meditations, I encountered “1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.”
The author I was reading wrote, “When life gets hard, it’s easy to default to fear and fall into despair. However, when we’re surrounded by community, we have others to lean on when we need strength or courage. We are also able to be there to support other members of the community in their times of need.” (These Days, November 12, 2026)
I believe Qoheleth was correct, “A threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Even more so, many “threefold cords” bundled together are less easily broken. For all of us, irrespective of how easy or difficult our lives have been, there are truly those times when life gets hard. As children and as adults, there are those times when life seems to overwhelm each of us. The problems may be financial, they may involve our health or our relationships or any other element of our lives, but, there are those times and issues in the lives of all. Even the rich, glamorous and famous we read about or see on television have those moments.
I have shared previously the story of how Greta and I came to live in New England. We moved to be closer to our children and grandchildren. We have truly felt blessed in our years here, in part because we have grown closer to them all than we could have grown from 1,800 miles away. Beginning during the pandemic, our son and our daughter-in-law have joined us whenever possible on Wednesday mornings for coffee. Yesterday, as we enjoyed our morning coffee, our son remarked how much he has appreciated having his family close by. “A threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
As a Christian, I find the same sense of strength-through-family in the words of Jesus about his being with us any time “two or three are gathered in my name.” Irrespective of biological connection, when we are gathered together in Jesus’ name, we are bound by familial ties of faith. “Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Gathering together in Jesus’ name, we are assured of the promise of Jesus’ gospel message of God’s love and forgiveness. We have that conviction despite none of us ever having physically seen Jesus in person.
We can be and are like those early disciples following the Crucifixion, Resurrection and Assumption of Jesus, “. . . constantly devoting themselves to prayer . . .” Our worship service at First Parish Church of Newbury, like most others, is centered and oriented around communal prayer. We always include what we refer to as Prayers of the People including a Moment of silent prayer and Requests from the congregation. We follow those prayers by praying the Lord’s Prayer in unison.
Prayer is not some sort of recitation of a magical wish list. My Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms defines prayer as “Human approach to God and addressing God in praise and adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication, and intercession. A consciousness of God’s presence, love, direction, and grace may be experienced.” (pg. 216) For me, the key element in prayer is in those words “Human approach to God and addressing God.” We can pray individually, silently or aloud. I find great strength in the truth that the Creator of Creation wants to be in a personal relationship with me, wants to hear what is on my mind. I find ever greater strength and support in our communal prayers, sharing our joys, cares and concerns together. Doing so, we truly and completely become “two or three are gathered in Jesus’ name.” We become not just a threefold cord, but, a bundle of threefold cords. Gathered as a family of faith, in Jesus’ name, we cannot be broken.
Most of us remember, ‘the family that prays together stays together.’ That is as true for our family of faith as for our biological families.
Worship together, pray together, trust God,
Pastor Ray