More on family identity

Well, I've been caught. I go posting about a topic that I'm still drawing conclusions on and somebody out there asks some great questions to keep me thinking. Thank you for that, C. Let's see what comes from tonight's version of my thinking/typing exercise.

Thought #1 (regarding the biblical basis for family identity) - First and foremost, our identity as believers is in Jesus Christ. It's not just in God, but specifically in the second person of the trinity (no, I won't try to explain that here!). Because it is He who humbled Himself to become a man...the perfect man that I could not become. Because it is He who paid the penalty of my sin. Because it is He who defeated the power of sin in my life. Because it is He who now sits at the right hand of the Father as my advocate and my righteousness.

As you can tell from these last few sentences, the theme for what God has done for me through Christ is individualistic. He saved ME!! He is sanctifying ME!! He has promised a future for ME!! And yes, like He did for His disciples, He calls ME to steps of obedience that have a 'Larry' look to them. But one of the great joys of the Christian life, and of the accounts of it noted in the New Testament is that once that conversion takes place, I am instantly relegated to a new definition of me...and it's noted in the context of community. The New Testament is written to groups and churches for the most part. This matches with the view of God's people in the Old Testament as well. Instead of a church, God used a nation to show Himself to the world. While there are certainly individuals that are used by God in both the nation of Israel and in the church, their basic identity was as a group.

As an aside here, I have grown to very much appreciate worship songs that reflect this reality. Just tonight, I added a playlist of songs to this blog for your listening pleasure (hopefully). The lyrics contained therein combine the reality of what God has done for ME ("I'm saved..."I could sing/dance") and that I now worship Him along with the rest of His bride ("oh, come let US adore Him"). I especially enjoy when worship leaders recognize this and sing a verse or two of a song with the individual I/me/my phrasing and then switch to the We/our realities as the song continues. (Sometimes, I just sing the words that way myself.)

Thought #2 (assuming that all that I noted above could be considered one thought...hmmm) - Hopefully, I've established that God relates to the world in the context of a group (nation in OT, church in NT) as well as to our individual souls. Let me address how He then instructs those groups to operate. I would note that the commands of God (given to individuals as well as groups/churches) understood the truth of things like family identity. The commands were given primarily to fathers with the idea that they would then lead their families in obedience. Teaching at the synagogue/temple/church was meant to be applied to everyday life family by family under the father's care and responsibility.

What about those that were not married or otherwise not part of a 'family'? This is where we as a society/culture have failed. I believe that the nation/church had an understanding and responsibility to care for all these 'individuals'. Children that were not married stayed in their parent's home and served the purpose, vision and plan of the family as lead by the father. Widows and orphans were to be embraced and cared for by the faith community. Sounds really odd, doesn't it? Well, unfortunately a few hundred years of, can I say it, thinking in society like a bunch of individuals has rendered this truth and biblical responsibility almost silly. I believe we would do well, and more closely obey the commands of scripture, by adjusting our thinking and subsequent actions to match with this.

Thought #3 (a word about leaving family to serve Christ) - The sad reality, of course, is that the difficult situation exists where family leadership and influence in no way reflects gospel-centered living. What is an individual to do then? Two things come to mind. First, to remember that our identity is first in Christ. Yes, that will lead to some unfortunate relationship breakdowns to which even Jesus alluded. But secondly, those relational difficulties do not excuse the disobedience to clear commands in both the OT and NT to honor our father/mother as well as other segments of family and society. Is it difficult to honor those we are commanded to when they are (fill in the blank to the painful degree that you must)? Yes. Is it commanded of us and subsequently something for which grace and mercy abounds? Absolutely. For anybody who hasn't experienced this yet, just wait. The presidential election or some other circumstance will bring it into full view for you.

Thought #4 (and with this I close...do I hear a 'hallelujah!) - Personal reflections from me follow...

I am convinced that my wife and children are just like me. Sinful and proud. It takes absolutely nothing on my part for any of us to embrace and pursue realities of individualism and self-this or self-that. It is in our nature. Therefore, I choose to pattern my life, to the degree that God gives me grace this day, to reflect family identity as a means to train us all in kingdom living. So, yes, it is possible to send an email to any one of us individual Bowers somehow. And within time, my children will probably have their own web site or whatever newfangled thing it will be in a few years. But for now, I take precautions to make sure that life is lived as a family and not as a group of individuals sharing a surname and an address. That includes how we interact on the information superhighway, in the community and in life in general. We need the training because I want my family to live now as we will for the rest of eternity...as a group identifying with Christ Jesus.