Is Blood Thicker Than Water?

My latest venture has been to fill out mobility papers for preparing to take a first call as a pastor this next fall at the earliest. Basically it's like filling out a profile and resume all in one. Make yourself look attractive to church hierarchy and congregations while stating the truth about where you sense God's call to ministry. I had planned to spend the last 2 weeks working on it (I've been thinking about it long before that), but Thanksgiving Break intruded and like most of you know, when you go home the parental units wrap their tendrils around your time, energy and daily activities. At least mine do. So when did the paperwork get done? 4am today/last night. Needless to say, it probably wasn't my best picture of myself and I'm very tired with only 5 hours of sleep. Thank God for slow Mondays at work.

All these reflective questions on the profiles, missing the northwest lately and reflecting on the diversity inventory (which btw, culture doesn't exclusively = ethnicity!) has gotten me to thinking: Who are my people? Do I have a people? Where are they--especially when I need them to support me? Who is my family? In short, is blood thicker than water? It's the typical comment people will make to justify sticking closer to your family (bloodline) than friends/coworkers/non-blood related people.

That's when it occurred to me that as a child of God I am in a new family by the blood of Christ. So who's family? What does family really mean??? Is blood really thicker than water? Does the blood of Christ really matter to Christians? Are we really family or do we insist on coveting our nuclear family and biologically related relationships? Who are the ones who support us when we fail and fall? Perhaps that is a better definition of family.

And better yet, we begin our life in God's family through baptism--water. So how does that affect our aphorism that blood is thicker than water? Is it still true? Does the blood of Christ trump the water of baptism? What say you theologians out there?

Flying By

Did you ever get the feeling that life is just slipping through your fingers like water?? That's been my week so far and it's only Wednesday. Sure I'm still adapting to a new schedule and a new semester of classes, but can I hit the pause button for just a few hours or half a day? When do I get the chance to not feel like I NEED to be doing something so that I can just rest?

Today was supposed to be that for me. I did get to sleep in, but then almost missed getting to chapel in time to help with communion like I'd volunteered. This involved running up the hill to the chapel and feeling all gross and sweaty. Then I ran off to discipleship to do the opening ritual for the session because I felt compelled/called to do so last week. It went really well. I co-opted Paul's idea about the anyway stone as a reminder of baptism and God's promises combined with some scripture and an awesome baptismal/flood prayer I used for a double baptism in the Puget Sound last year.

Then I ended up not meeting with my professor (who incidentally disappeared into thin air--I think it was a faculty meeting, but I like the first version better), read a chapter of history, did a bunch of e-mail/online things, learned about my ED II class and how I can't supply preach that Sunday because I MUST be at all parts for full credit, and tried to read for my Christ in Asia class, but someone had already checked out the book. I know, it sounds like I didn't actually plan on this being a "me" day. That's my whole point. Life is just coming too fast lately to take a breath.

Now as I head home I need to hit the bookstore to check on prices for my ED II class, still have 2 chapters more of history to read (this starts a new book now) and maybe then I might get to rest.

One thing is for sure. No matter how much reading I need to do I am going to do some exercise when I get home with my beloved balance ball. The stress in my shoulders must go somewhere outside of me.