Growing up, my mom always told me to never ask someone if they’re pregnant, so hopefully I’m not coming off as rude by asking if your church is pregnant. This week we’ll be looking at the parents of Jesus; a man named Joseph who is asked to raise a child that is not his, and Mary, a teenager who is asked to be the vessel that brings God’s Kingdom into the world. Both Joseph and Mary provide an example of what it looks like to prepare the way for the Kingdom of God to come here on earth as it is in heaven. Joseph surrenders control in order to be obedient, and Mary literally grows God within her and gives birth to the God-life. We too as a church are invited to allow the God-life to grow within us by surrendering control and simply saying “your will be done.”