Our Spiritual Genealogy

Our Spiritual Genealogy 7/22/2024 - by: Emily Carle - Starting With Scripture Share Emily Carle is a member of Center Church in South Hadley, MA, and she is currently a Member in Discernment approved for ordination pending call. Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-21 (NRSV) For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Reflection: Our Spiritual Genealogy I’ve been thinking about spiritual genealogy recently. You know, all those names in Matthew 1 that most of us skim over, and we question why they are there? It wasn’t until someone suggested I could find the presence of God within these names that I actually began to seriously engage with them. I realized something that struck me deeply: they are our spiritual ancestors. As people of God, we inherit a spiritual lineage with the predecessors of our faith. This idea of spiritual genealogy is so meaningful to me because it demonstrates God‘s grace and love. We have access to the testimonies of the people who came before us whenever we need to hear their stories and witness. We have access to the unconditional love of Jesus 24/7. Whereas our Earth families and friends may be sources of pain, estrangement, tension, or longing at times, we do not need to do anything to earn, justify, or negotiate a spot at the table with this spiritual family. There is already a place for us with our spiritual ancestors. Jesus can always be our brother. Peter can always be the cool globetrotting uncle. And Mary Magdalene is our rockstar aunt. They are the most accessible family we could have. Ephesians 3:15 has this curious language: “the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.” Every family takes its name? Obviously we do not all share a legal last name. However, we do share a spiritual name. We find our identity in God, and we take on the names “Children of God,” “Siblings in Christ,” “Jesus Follower,” and “Christian.” We share these names with believers of the past and of today – in other words, our lineage. It is always mind-boggling to me to think about the truth that we are one in the Spirit. Despite our earthly demarcations of difference, we share unity in what we profess. Well, we strive for that unity. Like many people, I’ve struggled with holding the reality that there are many people who call themselves Christians who profess values that actively cause harm and oppression to other people. How can we be part of the same family when we have such antithetical views? My nuanced answer to that question changes depending on the day. However, my steadfast answer will always be this: when my relationships feel rocky, I turn to my loving Mother, my loving Father, my loving Parent in Heaven to know and to trust that They’ve got me. God‘s got us. God knows our wrestling. God knows the tensions that come with relationships, and God as our loving parent is always shifting and shaping my heart and others’ in ways that I cannot even imagine. Ways that urge us forward to that unity, where peace and love may be the bedrock of our relationships. Ways that lead to greater understanding, empathy, and perspective. As the Ephesians scripture says, we only need to comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ’s love. We are not called to understand how it works, but simply to comprehend the enormity of it and dare to believe in its power. Perhaps, when we begin to fathom the vastness of God’s love, the love (lost) here in our relationships on Earth will not seem like an insurmountable challenge to overcome. As verse 20 says, God is able to accomplish abundantly far more than we can ask or imagine. Restoration and wholeness are within reach. Struggling with how to be in relationships with others is not a new phenomena. We are not the first people (or the first believers!) to have family drama, and we will not be the last. The good news is, we can draw strength through the stories of those in our lives and in the Bible who have gone through the same struggles, and who have found a way out. Our forebears, with all of their flaws and mess ups and attempts at navigating life remind us of our common humanity. By no stretch of the imagination are we ever alone in our moments of pain with others. We have a cloud of witnesses present with us, while God the weaver is always working to bring about the largest family reunion ever known. PRAYER Breathe in God’s grace for yourself. Breathe out God’s grace to others. Repeat as long as you want. Let us now pray with words: Divine, bountiful, gracious God, in the words of Ephesians, may you strengthen our inner being, rooting and grounding us in love so that Christ may dwell in our hearts. With Christ’s dwelling, may we feel the fullness of God and the fullness of our spiritual family, guiding us to union with others and to the peace that passes all understanding. Amen. New Prayer Requests: We ask churches and church leaders to join us in the following prayers either by sharing them during worship, printing them in bulletins, or sharing them in some other way. To make a prayer request, please contact Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane at cochranem@sneucc.org. Prayers of Intercession: Prayers for peace as wars and conflicts continue to escalate around the world. Injustices and inequalities manifest as racism, discrimination, gender-based violence, economic disparities, and other issues. For those grieving or suffering due to the ~9,200 gun violence deaths that happened in the US since the start of the year. For peace during the political process. For economic justice. Prayers of Joy and Thanksgiving: For our spiritual ancestors. For the youth who will be growing their spirits and connecting with teens from all over New England and other Eastern UCC Conferences at the Eastern Regional Youth Event. For the ability to pray together. (You are invited to participate in Pause for Prayer, Wednesdays @ 12:30, Live on Facebook. Add your prayers through the chat feature, and recordings can be found on the SNEUCC Facebook page or our webpage.) This Week in History: July 26, 1990 (34 years ago): President George H.W. Bush signs the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the most sweeping affirmation of rights for the disabled in American history at the time, into law. [History] “Study the past if you would define the future.” — Confucius emilycarle_square.jpg Emily Carle Emily Carle is a member of Center Church in South Hadley, MA, and she is currently a Member in Discernment approved for ordination pending call.