Council Grove Christian Church

7/22/26
Servants of God,
Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.
-Proverbs 17:6 (KJV)
Disclaimer: This reflection is written by a man who is a thoroughly biased grandfather
 and a very proud brother.
 
I think it is well documented that you believe that your grandchild (or grandchildren) is superior to all others. This seems to be a malady suffered by grandfathers and grandmothers alike. It is a sad but common phenomenon for a pre-grandparent person to look at a bumper sticker that reads “Ask me about my grandchild” and be filled with disgust and mild loathing. You actually have to have a grandchild before you grasp the importance of such an invitation. Of course, most of us do not possess the audacity it takes to make such a request of others directly. But boy do we grandparents know how to jump on an opportunity when it arises. Then, we can fully enjoy shamelessly reporting on the beauty, talent and intellect etc. of our grands.
There is something different about the vision of parents and grandparents. Parents take pride and joy in their children—most of the time. But children can (and do) embarrass their parents greatly at times. We are never far from the painful reality of a fool being “a grief to his father and  bitterness to her who bore him” (Proverbs 17:25). If a child of yours has ever acted out very badly (foolishly) you have had a dose of that truth. Parents can take, a sort of direct credit for a child. Grandparents have a joy once removed. We are a generation away  from direct responsibility. This sort of strange reality is built in to human relationships—particularly kinships. If you Google the word kinship you will get something close to this:
Kinship is the web of social relationships that connect people through blood (consanguinity), marriage (affinity), or adoption. It forms the fundamental basis of family structures, dictating social roles, responsibilities, and cultural heritage, and can also describe a broader emotional feeling of closeness or shared identity.
When was the last time you used the word “consanguinity” in a sentence?  It is not a common word but it is important. Consanguinity comes from Latin and literally means “same blood”. We all know the difference between being related by blood and being related by affinity. You can escape from affinity; you are stuck with blood!
The past few days we have hosted several grandchildren. They each have their own gifts and callings. Every one of them is delightful in his or her own way. Atlee Ruth rubs my forearm and says “Papa, you are a hairy boy!” Ezekiel, whom I have nicknamed “Zekie-doodle-do” rubs my bald head and says “Papa, what happened to your hair?” When I once told (then three-year-old) Jaden that I didn’t eat cookies because they “Would make me fat”, she giggled and said “Oh, Papa, you’re already fat!” Dear old Art Linkletter had quite a TV show back in the day interviewing young children. He concluded that kids “say the darndest things.” Those sayings are almost always cute when the kids are part of your family—your kinship group.
Christians share a unique human bond. We are not necessarily related to each other except by the bond we share in Christ. We are brothers and sisters in a special way. It involves a spiritual consanguinity. Because we are all forgiven of our sins and given eternal life because Jesus Christ shed his blood for us, we are blood relatives in the highest sense.
This weekend, God willing, Marcia and I will be part of a family gathering. My younger brother Phil and his bride, Debbie, will celebrate their 50^th wedding anniversary. Four daughters and their families, including a cloud of grandchildren will joyfully gather around them and honor their faithfulness and fruitfulness in Christian marriage.
Phil and Deb will rejoice in their children and grandchildren. Their daughters and the families God graciously granted to them will rejoice in the gift of parents who loved them and passed on the faith to them. Relatives and friends from all over will gather to honor what God has done. We will have the privilege of joyfully and thankfully congratulating two individuals, who by the grace of God, became one in Christian marriage.
Three generations will have the opportunity to rejoice and thank God together. Phil and Deb will be surrounded by their children’s children. The kids will glory in Mom and Dad and we will all know that kinship has a unique power—physically and spiritually.
Blessings,
Pastor John
Coram Deo