Family Affair
I titled this update "Family Affair" as I am just old enough to remember the sitcom featuring 5 year old Cissy and Jody tormenting Giles, the butler. But that is about all I remember, and it is not exactly what I had in mind with my title.
What was in my mind with the title "Family Affair" is the way that the Incarnation plays a role in God's expansion of the very notion of family. Family is an incredibly powerful unit in our world, both now and throughout the centuries. We have family names and family traits. Our family of origin, whether we come to it biologically or through adoption, very powerfully shapes the way that we think about finances, education, art, sports, faith, justice and any number of other topics. Family connections can open doors, while family disgrace can mark us forever.
When Jesus stepped into our world he stepped into a Middle Eastern Jewish family, with all that this entails. Over the years Mary, as his mother, fed him, kept him clothed, brought him to the temple, sang with him, worried about him, etc... We see this worry come out in scripture text like Mark 3:21, 31-34 where Jesus' mother and brothers fear for his well being and seek to intervene on his behalf. In response to this attempted intervention, Jesus expands the heavenly vision of family by saying that all who do the will of God are his brothers, sisters and mothers.
What does this new way of looking at family mean for us? That is the focus for Pastor Addison this Sunday as he opens to us more of Mary's journey of discipleship, particularly focused on family.
I look forward to seeing you on Sunday morning, and don't forget our Children's Christmas in the round on Sunday night.