A Light Has Come:: Family of God

Cascade Church Portland

The older you get, the easier it is to see the interesting dynamics of your family system.
I can vividly remember the feeling of trying to catch my brother in a mistake so that he could get in trouble like the rest of us. I was sure he was the golden child that never got in trouble.
I can remember baiting my sister into fights so that she would get in trouble once again. She was the black sheep who was pushing back on most rules and expectations.
I can remember retelling stories my parents wanted me to tell their friends about the funny thing that had happened. I was the comedy relief that could help lighten the mood.
What's so interesting about these roles and expectations is that all of them were true and untrue at the same time. All of those stories illustrate part of who my siblings and I were and there is also a lot that is missing from those stories and descriptions.
When we get older we can instinctually fall into these roles in our friends groups, work environments or faith communities. What's the impact of continuing to live into one version of ourselves from our families of origin to the family of God? What happens when something catastrophic makes our family of origin role crumble right before our eyes? Who are we and who is God in the context of God's family?