Family Legacy

 

As I write this, I am concluding a brief trip to Michigan where I joined with others in celebrating the 50^th anniversary of my brother Jim’s ordination in the pastoral ministry.  It was great family gathering has my siblings and I had the opportunity to spend some time together.  It also served as a reminder of how blessed we are as a family.  We all have various aches and pains that accompany the senior years, but we are all still relatively healthy and mobile. 

The reunion caused me to reflect on our family’s ministry legacy.  In addition to my brother Jim and his pastoral ministry, my sister, Carol, is a retired Lutheran educator and my brother David, while not in full-time ministry, has always been an active layman, singing in the church choir and currently serving as an elder in his congregation.

It continues with the next generation.  All three of our children are in full-time ministry and so are my brother Jim’s, his son is a Lutheran school principal and daughter a director of family ministry.  My brother David’s son in also an ordained pastor, in addition to his full-time job. 

Recently our son Peter’s oldest boy started a DCE internship at a church, making us a three-generation DCE family.  While Peter is a pastor, prior to that he was a certified DCE. 

I share this not to be boasting, but rather to focus on our faith legacy.  I point to my parents, and before that my grandparents and aunt and uncle.  While none of them were trained ministry professionals, they were all involved in the life of the church.  Faith, church and family were the cornerstones of our existence.  Church attendance was not an option.  Family celebrations were an opportunity to celebrate faith milestones. 

I view three things as being vital if the faith legacy is to be passed on.

The foundation is personal faith.  It begins with daily devotions, prayer and personal Bible study.  It also requires that we be in community, in terms of worship and Bible study. We need people to hold us personally accountable.

Secondly, it requires intentionally passing on our faith heritage.  That requires both intentional teaching and modeling faith in action.

Lastly, we must live grace-fully.  Family life can be messy.  Siblings do not always see eye to eye on issues.  Feelings can get hurt, but we must always be quick to forgive.  Healing always begins with us and our relationship with Christ.  The fact that Jesus is Our Lord and Savior is the most important fact.  We always live under grace.

I become more aware of this as I age, joyfully waiting in expectation to join those who have gone before me in the heavenly choir.