It's Complicated

It's Complicated

It’s Complicated: Family as a Means of Grace - Part 3
May 18, 2025
John 14:1-4, Romans 12:9-18

My Father’s house has room to spare. If that weren’t the case, would I have told you that I’m going to prepare a place for you?      

John 14:1-7

Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good.  Love each other like the members of your family. Be the best at showing honor to each other.

Romans 12:9-10

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In our Father’s house, there are many rooms — and together, we are learning how to live as one.

I grew up with a very different understanding of this passage. I was taught the King James Version, which says there are many “mansions.” I never thought to ask how multiple mansions could exist inside one house, but the image I held was highly individualistic and luxurious. Then I went to seminary and studied under Old Testament scholar and archaeologist Dr. Sandra Richter, who introduced us to the ancient 4-room pillared houses of ancient Israel known as the bet’ab — the “Father’s house.” This, it turns out, is the term Jesus uses when describing the place he is preparing.

The bet’ab was not a mansion, nor was it a space of private luxury. It included shared family living spaces, a combined reception room and kitchen, and small  sleeping areas often located on the upper level. In Israel’s patriarchal culture, the oldest living male was the head of the household, which included his sons, their wives, extended relatives, and sometimes servants. Much of the living and cooking took place outdoors, with rooms arranged around a central courtyard. Resources were shared, and everyone contributed to the needs of the household and wider community.

So what does this have to do with Jesus and his promise of heaven?

I’m glad you asked.

For Jesus, salvation is not some escapist dream of heavenly mansions and golden streets. It’s about a communal sense of belonging. In Christ, we are adopted into God's family, and we are given a place in the bet’ab — God’s household. 

But belonging to a household carries responsibilities. Children — biological or adopted — are expected to participate fully in the life of the family. Yes, they receive the blessings and love that come with being part of the family, knowing all their needs will be met. But they are also expected to contribute, to discover and use their gifts for the good of the entire household.

Family life, of course, is complicated. We don’t always get along, and sometimes those closest to us bear the brunt of our worst days. Siblings, in particular, can be highly competitive.

Life teaches us what it means to be part of a family — the human family, God’s family. As Paul writes to the Romans: “Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good. Love each other like the members of your family. Be the best at showing honor to each other.”

May this be our greatest competition in life: to outdo one another in showing honor and love. In a world that often rewards pride, power, or personal gain, what if we became known for something else entirely — a radical, joyful commitment to building each other up? That’s the kind of family Christ invites us to be.

Nurturing Faith

Nurturing Faith

It’s Complicated: Family as a Means of Grace - Part 2
May 11, 2025
2 Timothy 1:3-7

I’m reminded of your authentic faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice. I’m sure that this faith is also inside you. Because of this, I’m reminding you to revive God’s gift that is in you… God didn’t give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled.                         

2 Timothy 1:5-7

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Let’s be honest — families can be complicated. While many experience love and support at home, others carry deep wounds from strained, broken, or absent relationships. Even strong families often have dynamics that are difficult or painful. Some, like my own, find deeper connection with adopted or chosen families who walk with us more closely than blood relatives.

Yet phrases like “blood is thicker than water” can still haunt us, often used to shame or guilt those whose biological ties fall short. But the original version of that phrase — dating back to 12th-century Germany —  actually reads: “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” It referred to bonds formed between soldiers in battle, calling for a loyalty  deeper than even that of a brother. Jesus suggests  a similar idea when he asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” and answered his own question by pointing to those who do God’s will (Mark 3:33–35).

For Timothy, we see a beautiful legacy of faith passed down through his mother and grandmother. We give thanks for families like these who nurture faith and encourage the next generation. But for those who did not inherit such a legacy — or whose families have been a source of pain — the church must be a refuge, not a source of guilt or shame.

We also recognize that mothering is not limited to biology. Scripture is full of women who nurtured faith in others — Deborah, Ruth, Hannah, Mary, Priscilla — and countless unnamed women who formed and sustained the early church. Many in our own communities offer that same care: Sunday school teachers, youth mentors, spiritual directors, neighbors, and friends. To mother someone is to invest, to guide, to love sacrificially and that calling belongs to many.

In Christ, the Spirit forms a new family — a covenant community where belonging is not based on DNA but on grace. Biological families can be a beautiful part of that, but so can those formed by friendship, faith, or shared struggle. The so-called “ideal family” of mid-20th-century America was always more myth than reality. Today’s families are as diverse as the people who form them: single parents, co-parents, blended households, chosen families, and those who are single by choice or circumstance. All of them matter.

The church is called to be a the kind of family people may have missed elsewhere — a place of welcome, healing, and hope. When we show up for each other in times of loss and celebration, when we speak truth in love, when we pass on wisdom or offer a listening ear, we become spiritual kin. In a world that often isolates, the family of God is meant to embrace.

On this Mother’s Day, we honor the women who lead and love — mothers, grandmothers, mentors, spiritual mothers, and faithful friends. And we reaffirm our calling as the household of God, where every family has a place, and no one walks alone. In our Father’s house, there are many rooms—and together, we are learning how to live as one.

Thank you for following my sermon blog here at “Echo”. For deeper reflections on God and faith in everyday life, be sure to subscribe to my new Substack - “Reflections of Something”. Hope to see you there!