"And his mother and brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him (Jesus) and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, 'Your mother and and your brothers are outside, seeking you.' And he answered them, 'Who are my mother and my brothers?' And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother." Mark 3:31-35
Family is complicated. Family is reeeeeeaaallllyyyyy complicated. It's complicated because it involves broken, sinful, self-centered human beings who don't own relationship owners manuals or other sorts of guidance for the difficulties of human communication and relationship. And yet it is so necessary because it gives us practice in the "choice" of love.
Church family does this for us too. I tell the parents of the children I baptize that their parental vocation is to hold their child in a holy trust, raising the child not as their own, but as God's. In waters of baptism, in the following of Jesus, in the journey of his kingdom mission, we are invited into a new family...new relationships that form us not as Swedish Americans, a midwestern farm family, or a privileged family from the upper East side. No, this family will have characteristics that reflect the ethics of God's kingdom--his never failing love for humanity, his unilateral decision FOR us, his insistence that forgiveness be central in our relationships, that love for neighbor (and ENEMY) might abound.
Like learning to handle a shovel, drive a combine at harvest, or care for the cattle on the family farm, the stuff above isn't necessarily taught; rather, these things are caught. They're caught while we participate in what the family is doing, in where the family is going, and in the day to day work of the life of the family. They are caught in relationship, and conversation, in modeling what works and what doesn't...and everyone learns and grows together.
This is why Christian community, and our deep openness to it is essential to the life of discipleship. In Jesus we become a part of a new family and a new body. It's values, priorities, and hopes will often seem foreign to us...but as we spend time with the family we learn to see and think and dream in new ways.
My prayer for all of you is that as you journey in your small groups over this next six weeks, that you might discover that deep, authentic, real community is like pure oxygen for the soul. It builds and supports life, and encourages ever greater devotion to the source of all life -- Jesus.
Blessings on you all as you gather this first week in your small groups. May you find deeper community and greater life in your "families!"
Pastor Nathan
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2 comments:
I am really enjoying reading every day. Over the past week I have reminded myself how important it is to me to have interactions with people. I can already see that I am changing the way I interact with those around me. I am not sure that the words are different but the feeling and meaning behind them are. Renee
Thanks for joining this journey with me Renee. I'm glad stuff is connecting. The truth is that this journey is already changing how I think through the community that I personally need. I haven't had a deep small group for discipleship and fellowship for a long time. Pastors can become a very isolated lot. I don't think this was Jesus' intent. Rightly understood, pastors are just baptized Christians given the responsibility of encouraging and equipping and shepherding the Saints. But the truth is that the vocation can be lonely.
I remember that it was in the context of a small group that so much of my faith life grew and was transformed. IT took deep and intimate community to bring it about...and it was awesome.
I hope that we can capture, not THAT past, but the potential inherent in our family community here over the coming years. And my fondest prayer is that 40 Days of Community will be a catalyst for us in that direction.
Peace to you and Eric and the kids!
Pastor Nathan
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