We started off the day with a rousing game of corn hole. I must confess that up until now, I have been in a corn hole free zone. The title alone has been enough to keep this 'been made perfect, being made holy' being on the sidelines. That, and no ability to throw with any kind of precision. Okay maybe the throwing thing has precedence, but regardless, let's just say I haven't played. However, I am confident that even if I was wonderful at this game, the family would mercilessly make fun of me so there was no risk involved, and I tossed my first corn bag. Turns out I was hideous, but I enjoyed it tremendously anyway. Those who were not bad then took over and the games became more cutthroat, also typical family behavior.
There is something about my family that makes the relation unique. It is not a Walton family kind of connection. We are fiercely independent, and none of us are alike, but there is no doubt we are a family. The years we spend growing up together were more often in Nerf wars than in holding hands and singing "Let there be peace on earth". Someone in my house was yelling often enough that we were never intimidated by this behavior. Mostly we were checking out the direction, and weighing the potential personal impact. We didn't mind picking on each other, but we didn't let others participate.
While we celebrated together, I watched my children, now adults themselves, play with my siblings. Though we have never been close enough to be together often geographically, my family circle is still connected. It is hard to fathom how that can be, but it just is. There is something in the genetics that makes us a family even if months have gone by and there has been little contact. In a crisis, everyone responds. When there is a party we all try to come. If there is a need someone will fill it, often with a sigh. It's not Norman Rockwell after all.
I can't help wondering if this is what is missing in the local church today. This connection that has little to do with shared interest, fun programming, inspired worship, though all of that plays a part. I wonder if we need more of the connection that comes from belonging, as brothers and sisters, that has nothing to do with us and everything to do with our Father. I know we are working hard on making God gender neutral, but really God is not genderless. God is gender full. God is both male and female, both mother and father, and the key to the spiritual genetics that make us family members. As children of God, we belong to this family. We may be in conflict, we may be nothing alike, we have a variety of tastes, but we are related and the relation means that we are safe because we belong.
I don't think it will be hard to attract people to a family get together, particularly when the family is enjoying each other, and is happy to welcome new kinfolk. That feeling of belonging, of having a connection that might be stretched, bent, ignored, and still be connected is contagious. Dysfunctional families, as most are, are hardly the stuff of those darling Currier and Ives greeting cards. The local church isn't either and probably functions best when we remember that. It looks good for the pictures, but it isn't real life. There are characters in most families, after all.
So, what if worship became a family get together each week? I wonder if that would change how we feel about gathering, how we might behave while we were there, and who we might want to invite. Somehow talking about God together each week would be different if we remembered we were talking about the Father/Mother we all share. All kinds of possibilities exist in a family when the members know that they are loved, connected and valued. Parties might spring up quite naturally!
My family is quirky, unique, frustrating, fabulous, creative, lazy, opinionated, hardworking, peace loving, argumentative, funny, sarcastic, talented, smart, goofy, uncoordinated, athletic, well read, liberal, conservative, generous, tall, short, couch potatoes, techno geeks, and so much more. We are fun to be with, and exasperating almost at the same time. Strange how that works! Still, we have not had much difficulty in finding others who want to be a part, there seem to be new members all the time. Must be the genetics!
No comments:
Post a Comment