“When I was a boy of
fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man
around. But when I got to twenty-one, I
was astonished at how much he’d learned in seven years.” --Mark Twain
In this famous quote by Mark Twain, we learn one of the
problems of coming home. Home changes
while we are gone, or more likely, we change.
There is great comfort coming home.
The familiar sights, sounds and even the smells can evoke feelings of
security and refuge. Nonetheless, like a
college student coming home for the first time, we realize that we no longer
satisfied with the way things were. We
can’t simply go back to the old curfews and old rules.
In the journey of faith, there is something similar. As much as we might long for an idyllic
moment in our past, our relationship to God won’t exactly be the same as
before. We change. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. In the Scriptures, God doesn’t plant us naked
back in the old Eden. Instead, there is
a new heaven and a new earth. Coming
home means taking part in a new reality.
We are transformed.
After a summer of vacations and trips, Homecoming at Ardmore
Presbyterian Church signals the start of our fall programs. We ease back into our familiar pews and into
the usual routines. However, I wonder if
we should be satisfied with what has happened in the past. Perhaps, we should treat Homecoming as an
invitation. We can participate in a
deeper faith, a stronger community, and a more vibrant witness.
Some might mistake this invitation as an expanding
encroachment on your time. They believe
that the church wants you to be busier like school activities and your favorite
non-profit want you to be busier. Instead, the church invites us to maturity. If your relationship to God hasn’t shown
signs of growth in the past few years, it is time for a reexamination. Maybe, it is time for a change.
Homecoming is an exciting time in the life of the
church. I pray that coming home will be
an opportunity for spiritual growth for you and your family.
Grace & Peace,
James Hodsden
