"Oh God, you are my God alone." (Psalm 63:1)
I found my home church back in the bay area by virtue of proximity. It just happened to be the closest Lutheran church to our house. One mile. To get almost anywhere, I would have to pass it. And yet, it took me a year and half to visit on a Sunday morning. After seminary, I needed a break from church. I had left the ordination process and needed to find my voice again. More than that, I needed to find God again, because somewhere along the lines in my work, God got lost. And church no longer felt holy. How's that for irony? So when my baby was about eight months old and could stand a few hours without me, I snuck into the back pew of my little neighborhood church. I haven't been the same since.
There are a few things I feel passionately about when it comes to church growth. They come from my story of renewing my church identity as an ex-patriot seminarian. One of them is that when I walk into a church to worship, I want to be standing next to people who know they are alive. I use to think I had to worship in a certain style or hear a certain kind of sermon in order to feel fed. I realized after being at that church for awhile that it wasn't any one thing. It was simply worshiping with people who truly felt that Christ was present in that moment. So I kept going back every Sunday until one day I once again found myself teaching classes, assisting with choir, and preaching when the pastor was out of town.
What does this have to do with Psalm 63? One of my favorite contemporary hymns is based on these words. It's a hymn we would sing quite a bit back home. Funnily enough, I didn't even realize it was based on this psalm until I opened up my Bible for this blog. As I read Psalm 63 again, I was reminded of the people that helped me declare again that God is my God alone. And I was thankful that Hope Lutheran, even in the midst of its transitions and concerns for the future, Hope Lutheran knows its alive.
Reflection
- What pieces of scripture hold memories for you?
- What are the most powerful rituals of the church for you: the reading of scripture, sacraments, singing? Or is it the friendships?
Oh, God, my God, we come to you in deep thanksgiving for the gifts you have given us to express your love and ours: worship, companionship, the good news. Encourage us in our faithful practices. We ask these things in humility, and in the name of your Son, Jesus. Amen
Pastor Amy, thank you for your honesty, and your courage. It's inspiring.
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