This week in worship we continued a series called Family Values, looking at the intersection of television and theology. We are looking at what lessons we can learn for our own relationships, both inside family and out.

This week, we looked at the Rose family and the people of Schitt’s Creek, along with Nicodemus’ encounter with Jesus from John 3. Schitt’s Creek is one of my favorite television shows and is full of lessons for the church and people of faith. Ew David…here are three things from this week’s message

• It’s never too late to be family. When we first meet the Roses they are strangers to one another and to themselves. They have no purpose other than pining for their former way of life. Over the course of the show, we see that they have more in common than merely sharing a last name. Their transformation comes from the relationships they develop with one another.
• Our community is important. This is an recurring theme throughout this worship series. The move to Schitt’s Creek provided the Roses with their first really community. Previously, they were surrounded people but had no real community. Dan Levy, the show creator, says “this is a show about diversity and inclusion.” We see this in the people of Schitt’s Creek. If you look closely enough, this town looks just a bit like the kingdom of God.They are open and accepting of the Rose family, even when the Roses seek to dismiss them. Transformation comes through the people of the community.
• Dying and Rising with Christ is ongoing work. Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be “born of the Spirit.” To be born anew is to seek daily to be “born of the spirit.” It is not a one-time act of conversion rather it is the process of saying yes to a different way of life. It is the process of saying yes to seeing the world as God sees the world. One of my favorite scenes is the barn scene from season two, when Moria and Johnny go to the barn party where the whole town is gathered. We see them share a tender, powerful moment with Alexis and David. We see evidence of this family being “born anew” in expressing their love for another and their gratitude for their shared station in life.

The invitation is before each of us today. An invitation to die to our old way of life and rise to a new way of life rooted in Christ, anchored by the unconditional love of God.

To watch the full worship service, visit https://youtu.be/ArTHm4Zabsw and subscribe to our YouTube channel while you are there

John 3:1-8 (CEB)

 There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a Jewish leader. ² He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could do these miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him.”

³ Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born anew,^[a] it’s not possible to see God’s kingdom.”

⁴ Nicodemus asked, “How is it possible for an adult to be born? It’s impossible to enter the mother’s womb for a second time and be born, isn’t it?”

⁵ Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. ⁶ Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Don’t be surprised that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ ⁸ God’s Spirit^[b] blows wherever it wishes. You hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. It’s the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”