Pastor Norm Shoemaker gave a remarkable devotional one morning last week. He proposed that if the birth of the church was at Pentecost, then the conception of the church was at the cross of Christ. In John 19:26-27, the Scriptures say, “When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Dear woman, here is your son,’  and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’  From that time on, this disciples took her into his home.”  At that moment, was it the conception of the church as the blood relationships (which are thicker than water) will now be brought together through the blood of Christ? As a result of Jesus Christ death on the cross and resurrection to life, those of us who believe have eternal relationships in the family of God. It is the blood of Christ that is also thicker than water and saves, sanctifies and seals us for eternity. Jesus introduced a new kind of family during His earthly ministry when He said in Mark 3:33-35, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Jesus is profamily. Just like we cannot pick our earthly family, we cannot pick our heavenly family. Did the family of God start at the Cross with the uniting of mother Mary and John? What do you think?