Family History

I’d like to start with two questions.  First, how many of you have a “black sheep” in the family, a misfit in the family, a crazy uncle or a wild brother or a weird sister or an unusual grandparent?  Second, how many of you talked about that black sheep recently at a meal?  In the New York Times Margo Kaufman writes about holiday family meals: “When families gather around the holiday table for the traditional feast, there is traditionally one person who is conspicuous by either absence or presence.  Male or female, rich or poor, married or single, young or old, teetotaler or alcoholic – this person is often the object of ridicule, pity, envy, awe, fear, scorn, embarrassment or secret admiration, for as the proverb goes: ‘There is a black sheep in every fold.‘”[1] Thanksgiving and Christmas may be times when we are especially reminded of our family’s “black sheep.”  Most of us have one or two and when we get together for holiday meals our conversation inevitably turns to them.Read More »A Christmas Family Tree: Reprehensible Relatives (Matt. 1:1-17) Chris Altrock – December 18, 2011