SERMON TALKBACK: Jesus tuvo una familia tambien

Mary & Joseph's House

 Jesus had a family, too.  That's the theme of "Hometown Nazareth," this year's Vacation Bible School, offered by our church, Longs Peak United Methodist and Iglesia Cristo de Elim, a Spanish-speaking congregation that shares our building.

Pastor Steve (aka Rabbi) and Pastor Waldo shared the sermon Sunday as well, in English and Spanish, "Jesus tuvo una familia tambien."  I loved getting a "double dose," since I was in the part of the congregation who could understand both--especially the words "Facebook" and "Starbucks," which they both used.  It was inspiring to hear the combined congregation praying simultaneously in English and Spanish, and to glimpse the outreach of God's family.

Rabbi

The two pastors took turns preaching on the passage in Luke that describes the (miraculous) pregnancies of Elizabeth and Mary, and the different responses their husbands had.

The moral of the story was, in the words of the angel Gabriel, "with God all things are possible."  I wonder if sometimes we make it easy for God, like Mary, and sometimes, while all things are possible, we are obstacles like Zechariah, Elizabeth's husband, and God says, "If you are going to argue, shut up and get out of My way.  We'll go to Plan B."

The food market, the dye shop, the inn, Mary's house, along with the costumed teachers and aides gave the children's imaginations a jumping off place to experience Jesus as a boy and what his family was like.

What they ate, what stories Mary might have told, what problems the families had with the tax collector and his demand for shekels.

The Food Market
We closed Sunday's service with the song, "And They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love."  When Jesus was grown, he had his problems with his family, though they came around at last.  Seems like Jesus's family was a lot like our own families: everyone has an opinion.   But with God all things are possible.