Being Family

Five kids in a station wagon before mandatory seatbelts, before DVD players, before Sony Walkman.  My Dad controlled chaos by singing.  When we got good enough, we would sing in a round, my Mom leading the second part.  This Easter made me think of one of those songs – it is about family being together.  “O Lord, everybody’s home…eating, drinking, breathing of the Lord.  O, rejoice, the family’s all together, O Lord, everybody’s home.”  We would sing it again and again, soaking up the feeling of doing something together, creating something beautiful together, being peaceful together.

How often do families get that chance?  I saw it happen on Easter when I realized I was seeing something I don’t see a lot: a whole family.  Whether at Target or taco night out, I often see only part of a family.  Even my husband and I, a family of two, find it hard to schedule dinner together.

Church is a chance for all ages to be together in the station wagon.  There will definitely be personality differences and we will try to keep food fights limited to the youth room, but there will be space for everyone.  Thank you families and couples and singles for coming.  You make our family whole.  Now let’s sing.

The Rev. Jen Kimball