The Family You Choose

Who is in, and who is out? Who is included, and who is rejected? Our kids have learned at VBS this week that no matter who you are, no matter where you go, no matter what happens, you can trust God. This theme comes out in our Scriptures this week as well. 

Read 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 and Mark 3:20-35.

So who is in and who is out? In Mark’s Gospel reading, Jesus rejects his family and the scribes – his family, who has known him his whole life, and the scribes, who share with Jesus their devotion to God and God’s commandments. Those who should be closest to Jesus are shown to be the farthest away.

The scribes are fearmongering and spreading gossip in order to undermine the miracles and the teachings that Jesus is doing throughout the area. His family is coming to take him away because they think he has gone out of his mind! Rather than getting defensive over the slander, or sulking about his family’s behavior, Jesus uses this opportunity as a teaching moment and as a chance to redefine what a family is - that his family is defined less by blood and more by obedience to God's will.

At Trinity, we continually add people to ‘the family you choose.’ We have embraced many children this week as our sisters and brothers at VBS, thanks to the dedication and hard work of so many volunteers. Through the Miscellaniality talent show this Sunday night at First Baptist, we are recognizing that Baptists too are our sisters and brothers, part of the family of Christ! With the addition of the Little Explorers in our space, we expanded our family and our love to include the children, their families, and the staff at TDC. It may have seemed a little ‘out of our minds’ to build a new extension in the economic recession – it may have seemed a little ‘out of our minds’ to take on this debt in order for these children to flourish and the staff to continue their joy of teaching.

As Trinity continues to seek the will of God, who will we next include in our sisters and brothers – who else will join us as we seek to follow Jesus the Christ? Are you ready to seem ‘out of your mind’ – are you ready to take a risk in order to glorify God, make new disciples, and share Christ’s love? Who in your life can you include, who else is outside that we can bring inside?

Let’s get ready to be a little crazy for God and bring more into our great, big, worldwide, family.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Kate