Coming Home

I had last Sunday off and it was wonderful to just be in worship and not lead it. It was even more wonderful to do that in the church where I grew up. As within any family, my time there wasn't perfect and conflict-free, but I was reminded of my cloud of witnesses from birth. I got caught up on some of the news and received hugs, welcome and affirmation. 

I know that I'm not alone in having a loving home church, a place where I can catch my breath from time to time and know that I belong. Many of my cloud of witnesses are still there, though they are definitely not as young as when I was growing up. Speaking with them is so inspiring to me. 

I also know that my experience isn't everyone's and sometimes home is painful for a number of reasons. For those who had or have a challenging relationship with their home church, I pray for reconciliation. Even if we are never physically back again, the wound is still there and can impact our spiritual growth and well-being. If you have unresolved issues, it may be time to talk to someone who can help you to move beyond them. 

We all have something to gain from remembering our roots, those who helped us to form our faith and who made church and Christian community real to us. Even if there was dysfunction, we learned about people, about God's grace and about the complexities and gifts of being part of the body of Christ. These are gifts not to be taken lightly in an increasingly post-Christian culture. 

God deserves our gratitude for giving us this place in which to grow and learn about being a follower of Jesus. We need to offer our gratitude to our cloud of witnesses who championed the faith, who modeled to us discipleship, and who shared God's love with us in tangible ways. For some of us, our church family was more safe and stabilizing than our biological one. I encourage you to take some time to pray about your journey, perhaps even to journal about it, and to share your thanks with those still alive who have most influenced your faith.

If you do not regularly have opportunity to go home to visit, when you do be ready for it to be much different than you remember. Buildings, faces in the pews, and worship and leadership styles all change over time and this can be a bit of a shock to the system. It will not be the same, but hopefully what most grew you there will be discernible. Accept the gift God has for you in returning home. 

I happened to be at my church on a great weekend - a spare rib supper and silent auction that brought out a bunch of folks, some who I hadn't seen in a long time, and then a slightly different crowd at worship. One important role of us who bring the perspective of being away for a while is to affirm the positive changes we notice. Those serving there day in and day out may be running on fumes and unable to see the impact of their good works and faithfulness. They may not realize that they are actually doing quite well in creating disciples and serving the community and their brothers and sisters. 

We can also allow them to love us and offer us powerful witness of God's grace. We can allow them to be the church to us once again, showing us the impact of Jesus on their lives in simple and powerful ways that remind us of the basics of our faith. We can soak up their welcome and joy at being together, reminding us of how important faith is in our own lives. What holy gifts of God these are. 

Of course it's far more difficult to return when things are not going well, when we pick up vibes of conflict and anxiety, when a crisis has hit, when confidence is low, when doubt seems to be winning out and when the future is uncertain. We have no less important a role in modeling our own faith, in speaking hope and love, and in reminding them that God has not forgotten or abandoned them. Our gratitude for how they impacted our faith is so important for them to know when things are not going well or as they had hoped or when big changes are on the horizon.

Whether or not we are able to experience the gifts of coming home again to church, we should every once in a while pray for those who were our first cloud of witnesses and for the ministries they continue. As we anticipate Pentecost and the renewing energy and power of the Holy Spirit, let's pray for God's renewal throughout the church, sending wisdom and hope, the fruit of the Spirit and God's good gifts.