Saturday, August 14

I attended a 5 pm worship service at Memorial Lutheran Church in Nevada, Iowa on Saturday, August 14. It was a great experience, better in some ways than any other church I’ve visited this summer. The difference was that I did not attend worship at Memorial because I wanted to observe a new and different congregation, but because I wanted to worship with friends.

I was a member of Memorial for the 11 years before I became a member of Grace. My kids were baptized there. They sponsored and supported me when I was in seminary. I was ordained there. Their pastors have been pastors and mentors to me, and are now colleagues and dear friends. Worshipping at Memorial felt like going home to visit old friends; and that made if feel different and better than my other summer worship experiences.

There is a lesson in this feeling. No matter how big or small or rich or poor or historic or beautiful the congregations I’ve visited were, I was always just a visitor. Their pastors didn’t know me. There were no parishioners glad to see me in worship because we had history together, because we were friends. I was always just a visitor and that meant that the experience could never be as good for me as Grace Lutheran Church in Adel; but Memorial came closer than any other.

When I arrived and told a very nice greeter my name, she remembered me. When the pastor saw me walk into the sanctuary, he was glad that I was there. After worship was over, I bumped into people who knew my kids when they were babies and small children. All of this being known and remembered, that’s what makes a congregation feel special. That’s what makes it feel like home.

Have you guessed ‘it’ yet? I miss the people of Grace. I miss the rhythm of my work. I want to come home! As the summer winds down, that’s a pretty good feeling.

Peace,

Pastor

PS -- In addition to feeling at home, the worship service was lovely and the sermon was pure gospel.