Day 17. A Place to Belong

Day 17. A Place to Belong

Three years ago we visited Rosemary’s home church in Herrick, SD, a small but vibrant church in a town of 125 souls. It was the church Rosemary had grown up in. It was the church we had been married in. The current pastor was a lay minister and attendance was about 40 including a dozen kids. That small church was alive. After church we had coffee in the only establishment open in town, “Bernie’s,” the local pool hall, where the spiritual conversation continued.

The booth I was in could not stop talking about the Wednesday night women’s group. The most animated person was Claire who worked in a town 15 miles in one direction and lived on a farm 15 miles in another. She’d been invited the previous year to participate with the Wednesday night group by a friend even though she did not have a church home. The group had been studying The Purpose Driven Life. Claire said that after reading today’s chapter, A Place to Belong, “I put the book down and knew that I couldn’t read another page until I joined a church.” The next Sunday she attended Herrick United Methodist Church and declared her intention to join. It was now months later and she added, “I haven’t missed a Sunday since and I don’t intend to miss again.”

I’ve come to believe that the Church is essential to the Christian walk. It is a gift. It is a means of grace. It both draws us in and sends us forth. It equips our hearts and uses our hands. It loves us and employs our love. It is family. Everybody needs a family to belong to and every family needs all of its members to be whole. I’ve always known that church was important, but I’ve never heard such an imperative as Claire’s: “I knew that I could not read another page until I joined a church.”

The Church is important to Claire and Claire is important to the Church. Don’t you suppose that was God’s intent?

Blessings,

Rick