1 Corinthians 12:13 – In the same way, all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free, have been baptized into the one body by the same spirit. (GNB)

At Christmas, I made a card on the computer to give to my sister-in-law and niece. The greeting read: "Merry Christmas from the classiest branch of the family tree!" A Christmas tree branch with four ornaments (one for each of our family members) graced the cover of the card. This card suited the gift: a family tree I had compiled.

Genealogy is a popular hobby. To date, our known relatives, living and dead, number 3700. In the Hanson household, genealogy has drawn the family closer together. We hunger to know our roots, and we seek out family members from Scotland, England, Switzerland, Denmark, New Zealand, and United States. Our world is definitely shrinking.

As Christians, particularly on this Christian Family Sunday, let us focus on the significance of Christian families, who pass their faith to their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We know Christ today because our ancestors in the Christian church were committed to Christ and passed down the teachings of Jesus to the next generations.

The wonderful message for today is that we are all included in God's family whether single, married, adult, child, rich, or poor. Praise God for our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world!

Prayer: Loving God, You give us our family in Christ. We come to you in thanksgiving and with awe. We praise you for our ancestors, who shared the stories of Jesus with their children. Make us ever aware of the love we experience in our Christian family. In Christ's holy name we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Mary Jane Hanson <mjh013@sasktel.net>
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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