By Audrey Bauman

Romans 16: 1 – 16   (NLT)

“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. ² Welcome her in the Lord as one who is worthy of honor among God’s people. Help her in whatever she needs, for she has been helpful to many, and especially to me.

³ Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. ⁴ In fact, they once risked their lives for me. I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches. ⁵ Also give my greetings to the church that meets in their home.

Greet my dear friend Epenetus. He was the first person from the province of Asia to become a follower of Christ. ⁶ Give my greetings to Mary, who has worked so hard for your benefit. ⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews, who were in prison with me. They are highly respected among the apostles and became followers of Christ before I did. ⁸ Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. ⁹ Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.

¹⁰ Greet Apelles, a good man whom Christ approves. And give my greetings to the believers from the household of Aristobulus. ¹¹ Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. Greet the Lord’s people from the household of Narcissus. ¹² Give my greetings to Tryphena and Tryphosa, the Lord’s workers, and to dear Persis, who has worked so hard for the Lord.¹³ Greet Rufus, whom the Lord picked out to be his very own; and also his dear mother, who has been a mother to me.

¹⁴ Give my greetings to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who meet with them. ¹⁵ Give my greetings to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and to Olympas and all the believers who meet with them. ¹⁶ Greet each other with a sacred kiss. All the churches of Christ send you their greetings.”

Who are some of the people you are most thankful for?  I can imagine the thoughts that ran through the minds of the people listed here by Paul when they heard their names read as the church listened to Paul’s letter to them all.  If I were one of them, I think it would bring tears to my eyes to realize how much I had meant to Paul.

So when you look back over your life, and even look at life right now, who would you put on your list of people who have meant the most to you?  Many of you would probably list family members.  And they do have a profound influence on our lives.  My dad’s mother had a great influence on me.  When I was a teenager, she was the one that I’d spill my frustrations to and she was so patient – just listened to all my rants and raves and wouldn’t give advice just then, but later I’d hear her loving suggestions about possible solutions.  Her interest in reading matched mine, and we shared lots of books.  I credit her with my passion for the English language and my subsequent interest in teaching.  I’d have to write a book if I started listing why my parents made such a positive impact on my life, so I won’t even start there.

But what about others?  Art Stephenson, my Sunday School teacher during my teens, really knew how to answer our questions, and lived out what he believed.  Mrs. Grant, a business woman who was involved with teen girls at our church helped me to see that girls could be successful and gracious at the same time.  (Remember I grew up at the start of the women’s liberation movement.) My girlfriend, Gerda Jonkman, who has been my friend since grade 9, was my fun companion in all those crazy things you get into during high school, but also shared my faith even though we came from very different churches.  She helped me stay sane during those teen years - and we still keep in contact.

Pastor Bill Steeple, the pastor of the church I attended while going to university in London, and also a staff member for Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship, was helpful during the times I really questioned my faith.  My apartment roommate for 2 years at university, Connie MacBain Parker, showed me what super smart women (she was a math major and didn’t know what anything under 95% meant) can do, and how to be disciplined in reaching for your goals. We’re still friends, and she is still doing amazing things in her life working with Spanish speaking women around the world while she lives in Dallas, Texas.  

I could go on and on.  

Today, I’d like you to think about the people who have influenced you in positive ways. If you have time, make a list.  All those memories will brighten your day as you remember how God has provided for you over the years.  And perhaps you could take some time to write one or more of them a note to tell them how much they have meant to you.

Our song for today is What a Friend We Have in Jesus by Brian Doerksen