Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Marks of a Frontline Shepherd

August 17, 2003

"R"

Regular Worship Participant

Sermon Title: “Family”

by Pastor Justin Lathrop

Grace and Peace be unto you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

A few Fridays ago, I was out in D.C. having dinner with a friend at one of my favorite restaurants. Just before we ordered my phone rang. It was my mom calling to tell me that my grandfather had died. Now he had had a massive stroke 20 years ago, and his quality of life, especially in the last few years, wasn’t the greatest. So for my family, his death really was a blessing. I remember standing out on the street in front of the restaurant getting the details. I asked if everyone was okay. Then, I began thinking of my week ahead. “When is the Funeral?” My mom said she knew I had a busy week ahead, and it wouldn’t be easy for me to get away. She told me not to feel bad if I couldn’t make it. My grandfather. He’s family. “I’ll be there.”

Many of you know that my family is extremely important to me. Looking back at our relationship, I think it started when I was young. My parents were always there for me. There wasn’t a football game, or school play, or anything where I didn’t see my parents’ faces in the crowd. Both had even passed on promotions and job opportunities so they could have the time and schedule to be at all of my sister’s and my activities. But I think the most important part of that bond was that we ate together every night.

My Dad sold insurance when I was young. It meant that he worked almost every evening visiting clients. Because he knew he wouldn’t have much time to spare for dinner, my parents actually chose a house specifically so he could get home for that hour every evening. Actually, it was more like the afternoon. I remember playing out in the sun with friends after school when my mom would call me in for dinner. It was only 4:30, but that was the only time we could get together. And I really didn’t mind. I think even at that young age, I knew there was something special about us being able to gather around the dinner table together, sharing our days with each other. So of course I’d be there when my family needed me.

Well, I returned from New Jersey to learn that we had a tough few days while I was gone. We had a funeral to prepare. I have to tell you that it was at the viewing last week was possibly the greatest moment I’ve seen in my ministry. As I stood in line to greet the family, I saw a woman ahead of me from our church. I really didn’t take much notice of it at first, but I was close enough to overhear her conversation with the family. She introduced herself and told them that she was from Good Shepherd. I almost missed it, but I realized that she didn’t know them at all. They had never even met before. And it was in that moment that I saw exactly why Jesus brought us together. I saw what Jesus intended when he gathered the disciples together around that dinner table.

They were just a group of young men, far away from home. They left their families behind, and were living in a strange place. I’m sure there were times when they missed their families; when they missed home. But they sat down together and broke bread around that table as they had their family meal. Jesus promised he’d always be with them. He promised he’d always be there for them as often as they gathered around that table. And he told them that now they were a family. Now they had to be there for each other. He gave them a new commandment: love one another. After all, that’s what a family is supposed to do.

Well, in 2,000 years quite a bit has changed. Our parents work long hours. It seems are kids are even more busy with sports and school activities. There are more and more things that occupy our time. But we still gather around that table every week. We still break bread and drink wine as we have our family meal, and we realize that as much as things change, they stay the same. Like the disciples, many of us are away from our families. Especially in this area, most of us are living in a strange land.  There are only a few of us that grew up here. Most of you have moved here from all over the country, or the world, leaving home behind. How many of us see our family every day?  For that matter, how many of us even know our neighbors very well?  Or our co-workers?  It seems like we get more and more isolated all the time.  That’s why Christ gave us this family.  That’s why it’s so important to be a regular participant in worship. As we eat together as a family, we form that bond. The more we’re together, the more we are a family.  As we gather, we share our stories from the week, learn more about one another, and strengthen those bonds.  And we leave here with a new commandment.  We love one another.  We’re there for one another.  After all, that’s what a family does.