Tonight’s family service looked at the theme of ‘The Simpsons’, the popular US animated series which started in 1989 and has had over 550 episodes to date. The Simpsons features a typical American family: father Homer, mother Marge and three children, Bart, Lisa and Maggie:
Mark talked about each family member: Homer (whose catchphrase of ‘Doh!’ formed part of the games), the middle-aged balding glutton who is gullible and bad-tempered with his children and always keen to make a quick buck; Marge, whose loving nature gets disrupted by everyday routines and desperately needs a holiday; Bart, the lovable naughty boy who plays tricks and loves his dog; Lisa, the smart, musical daughter who always tries to do the right thing and Maggie, the cute baby who always gets into trouble! The series shows us the power of family, for despite the many arguments and problems, the family always works together. Ps 68:4-6 reminds us that God sets the lonely in families and we belong together. We can’t choose our natural family members and we can’t choose who is in the church, but we are called to work through our differences and problems and support each other.
Each member of the family has a different personality, and in the same way, the church is made up of different individuals who have been set in place by God. (1 Cor 12:12-20) We all have different talents and gifts, but we belong together. The Simpsons usually end up on the sofa watching TV:
Just as they are finally focussed on something together, the church’s focus needs to be on Jesus. When He is at the centre, we can work through all our differences and act as the supporting family He wants us to be.