Coming Home

“Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.”

Last Sunday, as I was reading the Gospel in worship, a particular sentence leapt off the page as I was reading. It was tempting to try a last minute edit to my sermon to include some reflection on that sentence, but I also knew that probably was not the best idea when I was only moments away from preaching. 

In the Gospel text, there is a moment in which the younger son, who has left home and squandered the inheritance that was provided to him by his father, “came to himself.” The son had been living in poverty and was now working as a hired hand on a farmer’s land, and if he was a Jewish man (which is not clear in the text itself although it is a reasonable supposition), he was hired to care for an animal that is an unclean animal. He was supposed to feed the pigs. For this young man to come to himself, he had to get to a point of being completely alienated from his own community. Assuming that the young man is a Jewish man, he is found tending the pigs of a Gentile citizen. It took him getting to this point to come to himself and to remember his own heritage and to remember that even serving as a slave on his father’s land would be better than his current station in life. 

The story of the young man is one that struck me because of the call to come home, to come to ourselves, and to return to the home that is able to provide us for the needs we have deep within ourselves as we journey toward God. Perhaps this is how the collect for Sunday connected with the readings provided last Sunday. In returning to his father, the young man not only receives bread but also a festive celebration with the killing of the fatted calf, the best robe, and a ring for his finger. The collect invited us to remember that it is through Christ that we receive the true bread that gives life to the world. It is an invitation for us to return home and to know the joy of being welcomed back into our household, our home, our place of nourishment. 

Now, I am wondering about the need for the nourishment that comes from our participation in the liturgy and the ways that we are nourished spiritually through the prayers and of course through the sacramental life of the church. The bread that we share in the Eucharist is the bread that Christ gives to us to know the true bread that gives us life and nourishment. We come to the table that Christ has set because we are hungry for the nourishment that we find in Christ’s body and blood. 

Christian community is vibrant and joyful and nourishing for a myriad of reasons - not least of which is the very mystery that we enter into through the sacramental life of the church, but one of those reasons is also the joy of seeing friends, fellow disciples of Christ, who are walking in faith towards the love of God. The last two years have left us desiring to see our friends, to be with them in worship and in fellowship, to celebrate the good things happening in each others’ lives, and to care and nurture one another in the more difficult moments in life. 

For those who are reading this article and are regularly attending worship at Epiphany, I am curious who it is that you miss seeing in worship on a Sunday morning. Who is it that you have not seen in worship for a time that you would like to see again in our community? Perhaps, it is time to invite those whom you miss to join us for worship in the coming weeks as we inch ever closer to Easter. A simple email or text message inviting people back to church - without the need of anything other than the words, “We miss you at Epiphany! May I invite you to join me for worship this Sunday?” 

For those who are reading and continue to stay away because of your own health concerns, I want you to know that I am grateful that you continue to be part of our community. If you do not feel comfortable attending in-person worship, I understand, but I also want you to know that I miss you. I miss seeing your smile, and I miss hearing your stories. I want you to know that you are loved here and that we cannot wait to have you join us for Sunday worship and fellowship. 

And, if Sunday worship still feels too much for you to do, I would like to invite you to have coffee with me - either at the church or on the patio of your favorite coffee shop. Let’s find time to reconnect and to share what is happening our lives.

It can be difficult for us to pick up where we were two years ago. We, like the younger son, may delay coming back until things reach such a fevered pitch that we reach a place of desperate hunger. Thankfully, it is not necessary to wait that long. You have a home at Epiphany, and we cannot wait to worship alongside you and to enjoy a nice conversation over a cup of coffee as we rekindle bonds of friendship, fellowship, and love. 

In Christ,

Hunter+