September 2007
 

A Longing to Return                                                                                   From the Pastor

Even though the last days of a warm August are fading as I write this, today there is a nip in the air; it feels more like fall.  When the air grows cooler and the calendar page turns to September, our thoughts begin to re-turn from summer activities and vacation.  Some of us are returning to school; others are returning to work, and some are returning to the church community from being away, or from attending to other commitments or demands on our time.

Exile and return are two over-arching themes of the biblical story.  Our biblical ancestors faced times in their lives when they physically moved (or were forcibly moved) to another place, another culture, and another rhythm of life.  Sometimes, while in exile, our ancestors faced hostility; others were welcomed and embraced by the locals.  Often, after moving about, they felt disoriented and confused.  Psalm 137 speaks to the distress of those in exile and their longing to return:

By the rivers of Babylon—there we sat down and there we wept

When we remembered Zion

On the willows there we hung our harps.

For there our captors asked us for songs

And our tormentors asked for mirth, saying;

“Sing to us one of the songs of Zion!”

How can we sing the Lord’s song while in a foreign land?

And while some of our ancestors became so accustomed to their new residence that they decided to stay, still others were filled with a deep longing to return to their homeland, to a familiar way of life, to familiar landmarks, to special rituals, and to the community that they left behind.

We may not have been exiled to a distant land, but many times the circumstances in our lives does give us the feeling that we have traveled to a distant place, a place that is unfamiliar or disconcerting, novel, or simply different.  Perhaps we have transitioned to a new chapter in our lives, or maybe something shook us so strongly in the core of our being that we traveled deep within ourselves to an unfamiliar place, just to make sense of it.  Or perhaps we really did journey far from home (in a car, a plane, or even in the landscape of our minds) and we gained a larger perspective about the people we encountered, the places we saw, and who we are becoming. 

Someone once said that we never stay in one place, even when we never go anywhere at all.  Our lives, including our religious lives, are always changing—and in a sense, this means that we are always changing.  Yet there remains a part of us that seeks to return and remember—to return to the familiar, and to remember the nearly-forgotten.  I believe that this is a longing to return not to a place, or even a particular time, but a longing to return to our connection with God.  This connection is precious and life-giving.  It anchors us in the midst of trial, and it yearns to be nurtured and sustained.  

This fall, as you re-turn from places far and near, I invite you to explore your connection to God through this community.  Do you seek to learn more about God’s word?  Do you want to discover how your faith relates to the things you encounter in daily life?  Do you want opportunities to grow in your discipleship to our Lord and Savior?  Do you want to deepen your connection with other Christians?  Do you want to live out your faith by serving your fellow brothers and sisters?  Do you want to “make a difference”?

If so, please join us for the many activities, events, and worship services that we have planned for this fall season.  We look forward to the gift of your presence, your participation, and your spirit.  We look forward to accompanying and assisting you in your faith journey.

The church is an intentional place and time to re-turn to God, to remember God’s promises to us, and also our promises to God and each other.  Here, we come to learn the Lord’s song, to tell and re-tell God’s story, so that we can sing and be sustained even when we are “strangers in a strange land.”  Here, we come to remind ourselves of the love that embraces and holds all of Creation.  Through worship and recognition, God becomes the touchstone of our lives—the beginning and end of our days, and the destination of all of our journeying.

Before I close, I want to extend a special thanks to all of our friends and neighbors at the Easthampton Congregational Church.  We have been blessed by your presence with us and we have enjoyed sharing worship with you.  Our prayers go with you as you return to your church and community. 

May God bless all of our re-turnings—to the One who orders our days, centers and grounds us, grants us courage, and satisfies our deepest longing. 

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Dee