Some of you may know I am addicted to genealogy.  Most recently I was following one line of the family back in Germany to see how far I could go.  Well, there he was, Hans Ebert Mack born in Schriesheim in 1540, my 11^th great grandfather.   Following that branch of the tree was made easier because they stayed in Schriesheim, Baden-Wurttemberg throughout many generations.  There they lived and died in a small agricultural town that benefited from the vineyards started by the Romans.

And what exactly is my point here?

Well, that is a period of just 500 years.  Our lives are so different:  the way we speak, work, play, dress, eat, and yes even worship.   And yet those genes still run through my DNA.

We trace our spiritual family 2000 years back to Jesus, and yes, even thousands of years more to Abraham.  Do we speak, work, play, dress, eat and worship like the Christians of Jesus’ day.  I don’t think so; even less than like Abraham.  Yet we are still God’s family, living our lives within the culture of the 21^st century.   It’s fascinating that some scientists claim that the DNA of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are found in Europeans (and thus I suppose, those Europeans who came to America).  I don’t claim to accept or refute their conclusions, but their research is intriguing.

We are not NEW as followers of Jesus in 2022.   We follow a long history.   Each generation clung to the cross of Jesus but adapted their worship and practices to meet the needs of their particular time and place.   And so do we.   Perhaps change comes even more rapidly now in our technological age.   Perhaps it challenges us to change more rapidly as well.

Abraham worshipped the Almighty God; so do we.   The followers of Jesus worshipped the Almighty God and saw his presence in Jesus;  so do we.   My 11^th great-grandfather worshipped the same God in Baden-Wurttemberg in the 16^th century; so do we.   I could continue with my grandparents and parents; perhaps you could too.

How amazing that our God of unconditional love has bestowed his gift of love on every generation.  We kneel before him in gratitude, and we seek his guidance to carry his gospel into the generation which is ours.

Judy