|
|
|
| Homecomings and New Beginnings"Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for
joy; One of my favorite book and movie scenes of all time comes from Alice Walker's The Color Purple. Two sisters who haven't seen each other for years are reunited, and as they stumble into each other's arms they are so overwhelmed by the moment that they fall together to the ground in a heap. Such are the emotions of homecoming! The prophet Isaiah speaks about the homecoming of the Lord in terms of beauty, good news, and joyful song. Certainly we had a taste of this type of homecoming at PB UMC during the advent and Christmas season. The sanctuary was beautiful, the music was glorious, and faces radiated with good news. The musical "A Time for Christmas" proved to be the occasion for many happy reunions between families and friends. Remarkably, the guest of one person more than once turned out also to be a friend of someone else in the church or cast. Long-absent members attended, family members arrived from out-of-town, and there was much rejoicing! Everyone who attended expressed gratitude for what the music and drama ministry was able to offer to the community in celebration of Christ's birth. Meanwhile, reminiscent of Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem, many of you traveled to places far and near to visit the homes of your of birth or places where your loved ones dwell. Thus, you had two homecomings this year: one when you arrived at the celebration, and one when you returned to San Diego and to PB UMC. Homecoming isn't always easy, but it is often a significant occasion for reflection. How have we grown and changed? What do we see now that we didn't see before? What is God doing in our lives? What do we want our homes to offer and represent to ourselves and others, and how can we make those dreams a reality? What is our role in helping those without homes to find a place? As we begin the new year with these reflections in our minds and hearts, may the Lord go before us, and make our pathway bright. Blessings on the year! Pastor April |
|
|