Sunday Sermon 9.25.21
Family is our topic today, so let’s start off differently, shall we? Play along with me…test your knowledge of some of the top 20 TV families. What’s the TV show called?
- # 20 – A cartoon family about the Griffins.
- # 19 – This real life family is of mom, dad and their 8 kids.
- # 12 – The Bundy’s sought to bring humor to married life.
- # 10 – Yet another cartoon family, this time with a snarky protagonist.
- # 8 – A rich family raising a nephew.
- #5 – Who didn’t love these adorable twins?
- # 2 – This became one of the first blended famillies on TV.
- #1 – The Arnold’s showed us a slice of down home wonder in a young boys family and life.
If you want to see how you did, scroll on down to the bottom where I’ve listed these TV shows.
There is another family, (of course, many other families) portrayed on TV that I want to mention – The Addam’s Family. Do you remember it? It was a TV series from 1964-1966, then again in 1973, and 1992-1993. This family was based on a fictional household created by American cartoonist – Charles Addams in 1938.
It’s members were Gomez and Morticia, famously in love, bizzar and even frightening to their neighbors. Their kids were Wednesday and Pugsley, and then there were the close family members, Uncle Fester and Grandmama. Let’s not forget the butler, Lurch, or Thing (that disembodied hand), cousin Itt, or the pets – Aristotle (octopus) and Kitty Kat (the lion).
Of this famed family, it is said, “Their influence on society ranks with that of the Kennedy’s and Roosevelts”. (Glamour Magazine)
“Their house (on Cemetery Ridge) was a wreck, but they were a close-knit, extended family. Supportive, friendly and hospitable to visitors.”
Accept that description or not, it is a remarkable statement. Stellar in fact, if you ask me.
Family is meant to influence society! Family is the basic buiding block of society. Family is the single, most powerful tool to build a strong, thriving cuture, and civilization.
Family. Familia. Jiating. Gajog. Familie. Famille. Sem’ya. Usra.
In every language, culture, and nation, the family is needed. Vital. Required. Wanted. Essential.
Let me emphatically add, that your family is essential, just as it is, with it’s personalities, and characters. Your family does not and will not follow the paths of the dynasties –
- The Barrymore’s – Hollywood movies
- Ford’s – automotive world
- Mellon’s – banks & steel
- Manning’s – football
- Koch – business
- Lauren – retail
- Murdoch – media
- Rockefeller – banking
- Kennedy – politics
- Walton’s – superstores
But the influence of your family, on society is JUST AS IMPORTANT as theirs.
Families come is all shapes and sizes, we recognize that. And so does God.
In fact, the Hebrew word that is translated by NIV and other translations as “family”, really means – “a circle of relatives; family; a tribe of people.” The word is “mish-paw-khaw” in Hebrew.
That means a family, is a circle of relatives, a tribe of people who surround each other.
For many, that will be a biological family relation of some sort. For others, that tribe surrounding you is not biolofical but perhaps spiritual or emotional relationships. None the less, these are a circle of people who have your back and you theirs. They are family.
All of us have times in our life that we scrutinize our family relations. We may even question our place in the family or the value of it or possibly even our own value. This is part of life. Part of maturity and growth. Look at these guys who did just that:
Gideon said to God, “Pardon me Lord, how can I… my clan is the weakest and I am the least in my family…” Judges 6:15
Saul too, questioned his family, his clan, his circle – “… is not my clan the least of all the clans?” 1 Samuel 9:21
Could you insert your name there, for Gideon’s or Saul’s? Or do you identify more closely with The Addam’s family, The Brady Bunch, The Kennedy’s, The Ingalls, or the Kardashians?
It has always been God’s plan to use your family to shape you. And that it has. No family is exempt. Weakest clan or strongest/most famous clan, God’s purpose is to use it to shape you into who He has designed you to be. Using the good, the bad, and the ugly in our clan, it develops in us the person and personality we allow. Our responses to those rubbings within the family clan, provide for us choices. Opportunities.
Hang with me here –
That “mish-paw-khaw” word for circle of relatives, family comes from another Hebrew word that means:
” to abrade, to stick out.” It literally means, to scrape or wear away by friction or erosion. To irritate or roughen by rubbing. It is the root from which we get our word abrasion.
Strongs concordance H 8192
Dear reader – doesn’t that sound exactly like your family? My famly? All families?
That circle of relatives who rub us the wrong way, irritate us and cause friction, who have bruised and scraped us raw…. Yeppers! That’s family. The ones who God uses to shape us, and rub off the rough edges of our personality and erode away those things that stick out from us that don’t belong. That is family. And that is what God designed families to do. (In addition to alot of other things…)
God placed each of us into our family of origin. We had no choice. But we do have choices now and how we choose to respond to the rubbing and abrasions of family will make or break us.
But more importantly, our family (and responses to it,) is what makes the backbone of our society. No pressure there, right? But it is true. Our families are meant to display the love of God, grace and mercy of God to the world.
God has chosen families from Adam’s family to yours to reveal His purposes and plans. Let Him rub, and refine you in your family setting and let His light shine through you and reflect off of you and your circle of relatives.
Our society needs Godly Adam’s families.
Cheers to you,
Debbie
TV Family quiz-
- 20- Family Guy
- 19- The Gosselins
- 12- Married with Children
- 10- Simpsons
- 8- Fresh Prince
- 5- Full House
- 2- Brady Bunch
- 1- Wonder Years
Under Debra’s Palm 