November 18th, 2025
While I was in college, these were always the greatest words to hear. Even now I say the best part of any trip is the return home. All the anxiety of making sure things are packed and deadlines are met, melt away when you walk back into the house and are sleeping in your own bed. We are creatures of routine and habit; for some this is worse than others. I am one who needs a routine, and the greatest part of that routine is coming home.
In Luke 15:11-31, Jesus shares the Parable of the Prodigal Son. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, a son comes to his father, asks for his inheritance, and then promptly blows it. (Very condensed version!) What has always struck me is the anxiety the son felt when he finally decided to come home. He plays all these scenarios in his head on what he is going to tell his father—how he intends to make things right. None of that was necessary because in verse nineteen, Jesus says the father saw him coming while he was still a long way off and came out to greet him.
This should be the feeling we have when we come into the church on Sunday. A family reunion atmosphere—where we are greeted and reunited with those we love and who love us. Due to a variety of factors, and despite the rise of "social" media, many these days find themselves detached from the family and the church. As they find their way back, they should find love and encouragement. We have no way of knowing how many people, like the prodigal, have gone through a list of anxieties, trying to find the strength and courage to return or even walk into church for the first time.
As a church, our goal every week is to make each and every person who comes in experiences the same welcoming love the father gave to the prodigal son upon his return. Regardless of if they were here last week, have never been here, or have not been here in years, it’s our goal to help relieve those anxieties.
The hymn writers focused on this idea in numerous hymns. One that comes to mind is Bill and Gloria Gaither’s “Getting Used to the Family of God.” The line that sticks with me is, “Growing together, enjoying the trip, getting used to the family I’ll spend eternity with.” I enjoy this line because it is a two-fold representation of the Gospel. The first being, we are supposed to do life together—in this realm, grow together, celebrate, and mourn with, know people as more than just, “Oh, we go to church together.” Take joy in the fact that we will spend eternity together but prepare for that eternity now. Reach out to someone this weekend and get to know more about them. Love one another as Christ loves us.
Looking forward to seeing you Sunday!
Blessings,
Pastor David
In Luke 15:11-31, Jesus shares the Parable of the Prodigal Son. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, a son comes to his father, asks for his inheritance, and then promptly blows it. (Very condensed version!) What has always struck me is the anxiety the son felt when he finally decided to come home. He plays all these scenarios in his head on what he is going to tell his father—how he intends to make things right. None of that was necessary because in verse nineteen, Jesus says the father saw him coming while he was still a long way off and came out to greet him.
This should be the feeling we have when we come into the church on Sunday. A family reunion atmosphere—where we are greeted and reunited with those we love and who love us. Due to a variety of factors, and despite the rise of "social" media, many these days find themselves detached from the family and the church. As they find their way back, they should find love and encouragement. We have no way of knowing how many people, like the prodigal, have gone through a list of anxieties, trying to find the strength and courage to return or even walk into church for the first time.
As a church, our goal every week is to make each and every person who comes in experiences the same welcoming love the father gave to the prodigal son upon his return. Regardless of if they were here last week, have never been here, or have not been here in years, it’s our goal to help relieve those anxieties.
The hymn writers focused on this idea in numerous hymns. One that comes to mind is Bill and Gloria Gaither’s “Getting Used to the Family of God.” The line that sticks with me is, “Growing together, enjoying the trip, getting used to the family I’ll spend eternity with.” I enjoy this line because it is a two-fold representation of the Gospel. The first being, we are supposed to do life together—in this realm, grow together, celebrate, and mourn with, know people as more than just, “Oh, we go to church together.” Take joy in the fact that we will spend eternity together but prepare for that eternity now. Reach out to someone this weekend and get to know more about them. Love one another as Christ loves us.
Looking forward to seeing you Sunday!
Blessings,
Pastor David
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