Reflections on "Family Stories" 2 timothy 1: 1-5; Genesis 37: 1-4; 49: 22-26

I had fun with this sermon.  The definition of "family" shifted throughout the sermon -- it referred to immediate family; Israel; community of faith, and extended family.  Although it was not intentional, that fluid use of family may have been appropriate.

I do face the challenge of not repeating myself as I preach through this series.  Or perhaps it is okay to be repetitive to make the point (on the assumption anyone remembers the sermon from the previous weeks!).

“Family stories” May 13, 2012; FPC, Troy, 2 Timothy 1: 1-5; Genesis 37: 1-4; 49: 22-26

Introduction: At Christmas when my siblings gather, we always tell the story of the costumer who worked in the theater department at the University of North Texas who came over for Christmas Eve dinner.  We always did a Christmas puzzle and had it out that night.  She became consumed with the puzzle and became the dictator of the puzzle table. She decreed that no one could look at the picture of the puzzle on the box because that was cheating. She tersely gave commands about about how we were looking for pieces. She stayed to work on the puzzle while we all went off to church. To top it off, she stayed long into the night, welcoming the early hours of Christmas morning at the puzzle table as we (the last two siblings) had quit the puzzle altogether and napped on the couch while we waited for her to leave. Some stories get exaggerated over time; this one needs no exaggeration, and it never fails to elicit laughter as we remember that night.

Does your family have a story or two that they tell?

Move 1: As we reflect on telling our stories – both the stories about God and the stories of our lives, we are reminded of the power of story.

a. The Israelite self-identity grew out of the stories they told.

1. we read two passages from Genesis.
2. In the first passage, we are told that to know the story of Jacob, we need to know the story of Joseph.
3. And then the story of Jacob's son Joseph unfolds for the reader.
4. We read the story of Joseph and discover a fascinating tale – betrayal by brothers; time served in jail; Joseph and his dreams; Joseph being in Pharaoh's court at a time when he can save his family
5. This story became formative for Jacob's family and for the people of Israel.
6. Their understanding of the God who claims them and saves them is shaped by the story of Joseph.
7. In the second passage are the words of Jacob as he nears death. He mentions each son and the primary story about that son.
8. Again, the reminder of how the story shapes their understanding.
   b. what are your formative faith stories.
   1. The story that epitomizes what you believe about God.
   2. what story can you tell that gives the listener one of those “aha” moments when the go “aha, now I see God?”:
   3. When we tell our stories, we help others grow in the their faith as they discover new possibilities for how they can understated God at work in their lives.
   We have the powerful faith stories to share with others.
   Move 2: One story may lead to another story.

a. Christmas Eve traveling.

1. Story about breakfast in Memphis at an IHOP.
2. Waitress was going to miss her young kids wake up that morning.
3. Big tip.
4. Tell the story.
5. The next time we traveled on Christmas Eve, the girls remembered that waitress, so they packaged up good bags. Every

b. confirmation.

1. elder in the church I served in KY used to tell his confirmation story.
2. Back when he was confirmed, they had to memorize the Heidelberg Catechism.
3. On the day he was to meet with the Session, he was playing baseball in the neighborhood and got his on the head with a baseball.
4. Woozy from the knock on the head, he describes being dizzy as he met with the Session and not really knowing what he was saying, but somehow his rote memory kicked in and he was able to spit out the the first few answers of the Heidelberg Catechism, which was enough to satisfy the Session.
5. That story shaped how I began to view the confirmation process. For good (and some confirmands would say for bad), it occurred to me that the confirmation process ought to come down to more than the recitation of some memorized answers that a dazed Jr. high boy could handle.

Move 3: pass it on.

a. In timothy, we are reminded that his faith grows out of the faith of his mother and grandmother.

1. We are not told how it happened that Timothy came to have the faith of his grandmother and mother, but Paul draws a clear connection.
2. In the Southern Baptist tradition they had a saying, “there are no second generation Christians.”
3. There point being that each person has to claim their faith for themselves.
4. Last week's sermon theme about our faith story being an autobiography acknowledges that each of us has to claim our own faith story.
   b. But I bet Timothy heard some good stories from his grandmother and his mother.
   1. I can hear Timothy's grandmother now: “Timmy, did I ever tell you about the first time someone told me that Jesus was raised from the dead? My friend Louisa started telling me this story I could hardly believe. She said that this man Jesus had been crucified, but then raised form the dead. I could hardly believe what she told me. But she went on and on. It obviously meant so much to her. And it seemed kind of nice to me. So I decided to learn more about Jesus. My life has never been the same.
   2. Imagine the power Grandmother has when she shares her story of faith.
   b. Think about the rich stories you could tell.
   1. Have you told them about the person that meant so much to you in your faith?
   I remember Mr. Calhoun. He always gave kids peppermints after church. Whenever I see a peppermint I remember him. When I was a kid it may have been hard to understand it when the minister told us that God was always there for us, but Mr. Calhoun was there every week with a peppermint for me.
   3. Or your story about coming to faith later in life. “I never knew much about Jesus growing up. Never went to church or anything like that. But when I got to college my roommate asked me to go on a week-end retreat with the chapel program. They were going to hike and swim at a really cool camp and you needed a break from school, so I said yes.
   At the Saturday night vespers service the chaplain was talking about how the woman who had been bleeding reached out touched the hem of Jesus' garment and was healed. As I heard the story, it did something to me. Maybe because I was a woman it had extra meaning for me. Maybe I was just searching for something more in life. I don't know, but as I heard that story about Jesus some strange mix of desire to know more about Jesus and comfort in hearing how the woman was healed came over me and I found myself wanting to know more about Jesus.
   4. Or how about a Mother's Day gift – tell your mother the story of how she has impacted your life of faith.
   Conclusion: Recently reading about faith formation of kids, and the author noted that the “real faith incubators aren't paid professional church staff but parents and guardians who make a point every night to turn off the computer, put down the newspaper, set the cell phone on silence and engage with kids they love...” (“how Faith Is formed: Family Affair” interview with Rich Melheim; Christian Century Feb. 22, 2012. 22-25. 23.
   You have a story to tell. Tell it.