Dear Church, dear friends,
I remember when the church was full, when we were the champions of the sports league, and the choir actually used the choir loft. This is the memory of our church builders.
For me, it is a more modest memory. I remember when we had over 50 in church, when the songs we sang filled the room with harmony, and our Praise Rallies filled the place.
It is discouraging to see what is no longer.
It is not just us or the church in general. Many institutions are struggling right now, having to shift and change, because people were told to stay home, many told their labor wasn’t needed, and even our outside activities (the beach, the parks, the hiking trails) were closed down to us.
In a world where your home is the only place you can be, home, and whatever it takes to keep a home, takes center stage. Life can sometimes feel like it is all about survival instead of joy and song.
Is this you? Is this someone you know?
Worrying about loss can lead to frenzied activity to try to save whatever it is we feel we need to save. Or, when it feels too big and our resources too small feelings of loss can lead to a hands-off, “I’m done!”
Let’s try a different way. Turn off the tv, sit on your porch, or in a comfortable chair, and imagine Jesus next to you. Jesus, for those who are new to Christianity, embodies God’s love. Imagine someone who loves you more than anything else. Imagine that love being multiplied, x 10. That is Jesus, that is the one you invite to be with you in this time of trial. Make no mistake, this is a trying time for all of us.
Maybe you want to talk, maybe you don’t. Open yourself to feel the presence of one who is simply glad you are alive. Let a song run through your head, sing aloud if you like. Or whisper a prayer. Come, Lord Jesus. Lead me. Hold me. Bring peace.
Linger there each day. Each day, take time to speak the name of Jesus and invite him in again. The world has changed. But Jesus hasn’t. He still calls you home. Not the home you sit in nor the home you will go to when your time on earth has ended, but into the heart of God where you can find, once again, your joy and your song.
Love, Pastor Heather
Reverend Heather DeVoe Miner, M.Div
Rev. Heather served as the pastor at NLBCC until 2022. She continues to spread the loving and inclusive message of Christ, serving a church in Boise, Idaho.
