Extended Family

The crowd came together again, so that Jesus and his disciples could not even eat. When his family

 heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.”

 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the

 demons he casts out demons.” And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can 

Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a 

house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against 

himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s

 house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be

 plundered.

“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but

 whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal

 sin”— for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.” Then his mother and his brothers came; and

 standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said

 to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” And he replied, 

“Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here

 are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” 

Mark 3:20-35

It has been an exhilarating and complicated few days. On Friday, I preached at the deconsecration
service f St. John's Chapel at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge. I was able to gather with
many dear friends, classmates, faculty and new friends. We rejoiced in the gifts we had been given
as we mourned an end of an era. Today, two of my daughters and one grandchild were together for
food and fun. We laughed and ate, swam and played and dried a few tears along the way. We were
with our splendid church family in the morning, celebrating the end of Sunday School and the
beginning of summer for some.

Families are wondrous and complicated, loving and aggravating, truly human who help us understand
the love of God. Families come in all shapes and sizes, and are not limited to those relate to us by
blood or adoption. We need each other, because we are complex and unique, delightful and infuriating,
amazing and dull. We are each a gift from God, that helps us learn how to love more completely and
more profoundly.  We are family and God is love, which binds us all together, no matter how different
we might be.

As this day ends, I rejoice in the many families I am blessed to be a part of. My children and grand-
children, as well as all my relations have taught me how to live a life of love and service. And my
families of church, school, summer, music and theatre have made me who  I am and I have been
 transformed by their love. So as night descends, may we all rejoice in the gift of this extended family,
and that we are one family, and all loved and cherished by God
limitations into