TRINITY 2
Families feature large in today's reading. Families, are, of course, important. At their best, they are places wehre we can learn to love and be loved, feel secure and thrive, but many families aren't like that, and no family is perfect. The Old Testament reading gives us a picture of a partnership that, despite being very new, is already coming apart at the seams, riven by blame and scapegoating. The picture accompanying the podcast shows the moment when the rot sets in, when Adam and Eve are taken in by the smooth-talking snake, and give in to the temptation to try to play God, with disastrous results.
In the Gospel reading Jesus seems to be rejecting his own family of origin in favour of the followers he has gathered around him. It's an uncomfortable moment, and might challenge our image of him, but, as is often the case, Jesus is making a point through exaggeration. His family are trying to prevent him fulfilling his calling. Families can be wonderful, but they can also behave as if they own their members, trying to squash them into a mould. Jesus affirms the importance of people taking responsibility for answering the call of God on their lives, and the "families" that don't fit the stereotype we might have of them. - Have you ever had to take a different path from the one your family expected you to take?
- What did that feel like?
- What do you think and feel as you hear the Gospel story? Where do your sympathies lie?
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Watch out for events between June 15th- 22nd to mark the Great Big Green Week, and Count on Nature week which aims to survey the wildlife in churchyards. There will be someone from the Eco Church team in the churchyard between 6 and 8pm every evening, with suggestions to help us see what flora and fauna we have, including a bat survey! Details to follow.
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