When I turned the daily inspiration calendar on the shelf, this thought jumped out at me: “No one gives you a home, you make a home.” The editor of the calendar probably intended to encourage us to strengthen our families. As is often the case, the saying caused me to think….Don’t parents give or provide a home for young children? Are there exceptions to the generalization? Perhaps the basic thought is true. A house is different from a home. An empty house is not a home. The people who live in a house make it a home. The house where I live becomes my home because of things I do.
Spiritual application time. I am thinking about the terminology sometimes used to refer to a local church: my “home congregation.” What does that mean? In what sense does a local congregation become my spiritual home? Is the church where you are a member merely a place where you attend church from time to time, or is it your spiritual home? If no one gives you a home, what can a church member do to make a local church a spiritual home? What should church leaders consider in developing congregations that serve as spiritual homes? What kind of preaching and teaching encourages and supports members who are seeking a spiritual home?
Consider some truths about our homes–physical and spiritual.
- Home is a place where I find my identity–do I find my identity in the context of my home congregation?
Home is where my heart is–is my heart centered in the spiritual home and family I find in my home congregation?
Home is where I find support–is this a description of my home congregation?
Home is where you go when you can’t go anywhere else–true of your home congregation?
Home is a place of comfort–what about your home congregation?
Home is a place where people know me–how many people know you (and how many people do you know) in your home congregation?
I spend energy and time and money to make a house my home–how much energy and time do I spend making the local church my home?
Making a home requires an investment–my devote time, energy, thought, and resources to turning a house into a home. My home is comfortable, inviting, relaxing, refreshing. Maybe some folks would feel more “at home” in their local congregation if they were present more often, were more involved, and did more to make it their home.