Being family...the family of God.

January 23, 2019

Well homily

Psalm104:24-34, 35b

Please pray with me,

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable and suitable in your sight, O God, our rock, our strength and our redeemer.  Amen.

The words of the psalmist remind us that we are called to see the beautiful creation that surrounds us…many of us saw that beauty this past week a few nights in the amazing view of the moon. 

In addition to seeing the beautiful creation that surrounds us, we are also called to care for all that God has provided for us, and for others. 

It seems to me that as part of this vast population of human beings that lives on this planet right now not only is our care for our community and nation important, so is the impact we have on the rest of the planet.  We’re in this together, folks. 

But here arises the problem…we seem to be having a pretty difficult time talking with one another these days. 

The increase in ‘screen time’ by texting and emailing has made many of us less comfortable talking on the phone let alone talking face to face.  Yet, we NEED to be in connection and in community with one another to live in this world together. 

In the beginning God created the world, and as soon as it was created, God populated it with flying creatures and swimming creatures and human beings….all so that we may live in relationship with one another. 

It’s tough, but it’s who we are called to be as the Body of Christ and as the human race.  In essence, we are drawn back to one of the early rules of our childhoods.  Play well with others. 

Right?  Sounds simple, but it is something that seems to have fallen out of our daily behaviors…especially as we watch the news each night. 

In the book God, Improv, and the Art of Living, Maryann McKibben Dana addresses this very idea.  She shares this story from one of her improv classes. 

{As I preached this homily, I read the story from pages 83-84 in McKibbin's book.  I'm a firm believer in sharing the voices of writers in their own words.  The story I read talks about a scene between Bob and Kelly.  Bob begins with his hands balled up, he licks them and rubs them on his face.  Maryann (from the back of the room) can see him as a cat bathing.  Kelly, in the scene with Bob, looks confused.  After copying the movements, she comments with something like, "Yes, I love rubbing ice cream cones on my face!" While Bob is taken aback, he goes with it.  The scene turns out to be wonderful.  Yet it could have easily gone awry if he had just been frustrated that Kelly didn't see that he was a bathing cat.}

How easy would it have been for Bob to get frustrated that Kelly didn’t see things the way he did?  How easy is it for us to think, “How could someone possibly see things any other way but mine?” 

That's never happened to you, right?  

We too often fall into that trap of sin…that I’m right, you’re wrong and that settles it. 

I’m here to tell you folks that we need each other to get through this thing called life.  We could try it on our own, but the relationships we have with one another are key to living in a community that is bigger than us all. 

And that is who we are called to be as the Body of Christ.  We are called together into the family of God, in this place called Trinity not because of who we are, but because of who God calls us to be – family. 

As family, will we all get along? 

Probably not. 

Are there a few folks that you’d rather sit at the kids table rather than right next to you?  Perhaps. 

But are we all part of God’s plan of salvation in this world? 

You betcha!

And that is bigger than the differences in our skin color, gender, political view or favorite sports team, spoken as a Pats fan in Eagles country.  But seriously…God calls us in spite of who we are to see outside of our own little bubbles, to be part of something bigger, something greater, something diverse.  Because that something – the church – is changing the world with love and grace and the promise of peace.   

We have a call to share that light and love and grace...

Let us pray,

Gracious God, you hold us in the palm of your hand…not alone, but with the rest of humanity.  Help us to see all the members of the Body of Christ and work together to listen to one another as we share the light and love of your Son.  Help us all to work together for sake of the world, its inhabitants and the generations to come.  And may the peace, which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus and let all God’s people say, amen.