Family Ties

Genesis 29

Two wives in one week!  Wow! Just can't even imagine...  However, the truth is Jacob was tricked into marrying Leah.  He really loved and wanted her younger sister, Rachel.  Sadly, Leah knew this and God knew this so he blessed Leah with children to love.   But, I can't imagine a week that included two marriages in one household.

This section of scripture deal with heritages - with family lines - family lives.   As I am at the North American Lutheran Church Convocation in Hilliard, OH, I have been reminded many times throughout of my own Finnish heritage.  Many of my ancestors came from Finland.  Bp. Sutton of the Anglican Church of North American spoke of the Finnish theology - the focus on the incarnational presence of Christ in you.  I'd like to launch into a sermon on how we receive Christ in the Word and Sacraments but...  I'll save it for when I have more time.  The point I want to make is that although my family history -my bloodline - is important - there is a blood that is thicker than blood and that is the blood of Christ that is shed for me - for you. So I thanked God yesterday a great deal for the family who taught me about the abiding presence in Christ - I thanked God for those spiritual fathers who helped me to understand the promise of the kindom more fully and they were of Finnish descent.  I thanked God for my teacher, Karlo Keljo and for the writings of Walter Kukkonen, Sr., (as well as others) that taught me much.   This morning I noticed this blog had two hits from Russia (as well as a couple other countries.)  Our missions there are related to our heritage.  Our (Suomi Confernce) Finnish ministry in Russia, as many of you know is very important to me.  I also thanked God for Bp. Don McCoid (ELCA), whom I spoke with yesterday.  I am most grateful for all that he has done to help Suomi Conference continue our missions in Russian Karelia as well as other places in the world that we are able to connect with and minister to our family in Christ in Russia.

Yes, a little off track this morning.  Lots of things to think about at National Convocations.  Just wanted us to think about thanking God for family this morning - those of our blood-lines and those in the family of God, through the blood of Jesus Christ.

P.S.  I thank God, too, for Antti Lepisto for all the work that Christ has accomplished in and through him to advance the missions in Russia.