By Rev. Victoria Rebeck, Director of Connecting Ministries
“Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. . . . And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.” [Matthew 2:7-9, 12]
Some years ago I was a regular volunteer at Elm Creek Park Reserve, a 4,900-acre county park in Minnesota. From January through April, I would hike off-path and record signs of birds of prey nesting. One afternoon during my first year in the program, I wandered into an area I had never visited before. I crossed an old beaver dam over a wetland and climbed the hill on the other side. Once I got to the top of the hill, I saw that there was a little bit of a valley in the middle, so I trudged down to explore it.
After a bit I decided it was time to head back. I looked around and realized that I had no idea how to retrace my steps. My boots had not left tracks on the frozen ground. The land inclined all around me; on which part of the hill did I enter? I had not thought to watch my compass as I hiked. A bit of panic came over me. It was late afternoon, and the sun was on the horizon. What was I to do?
As I thought about it, I remembered that though the park was large, it was bounded by roads. Regardless of which direction I headed, I would arrive at a road. From there, I would know how to return to the nature center. There were obstacles along the way—redosier dogwood stands, more wetlands, a creek—but this time I watched my compass, got around the obstacles, resumed my direction, and came to a road. I was really not as far off as I feared, and I returned before dark.
I got home by another way. In a sense, I have often gone home by another way. I’ve lived in four different states as I accepted new job opportunities. These new places eventually became home—even though I had arrived there by leaving home. As they say, change is the one constant in life.
If we look back at the trajectory of our lives, we will see that expectations and reality did not always match up. And if we look at the past 12 months, we will see just how little we knew about the coming days. Most of our plans would have to be set aside. Once we were not able to safely meet in our church buildings or visit the sick or attend funerals or take our families to joyous Christmas celebrations, we had to start from scratch. Was it still possible to be “church” without worshiping together in a sanctuary? The meaning of the word “church” has become so tied to physical structure that some couldn’t imagine they could practice their faith outside of a church building.
The familiar brings comfort; I know this well from having to leave home so many times. One of the wonderful blessings of church buildings is that they become a second home to us. I was once appointed to a small church that after a couple of years merged with a larger one. It was a good and healthy choice that is still bearing fruit. But the last time I left that building, I felt sad. I would miss it for all the ways I met God through God’s people there. And I had been there only a short time.
However, not every Christian has regularly worshiped in a church building. For example, the earliest Christians often met in people’s homes, usually over a meal (as Acts 2:46 suggests).
It has been the extra-hard work of our clergy this past year, who often felt lost in unfamiliar woods, that shows us that church exists even when not confined to a building. God is not trapped between four walls. As long as we’ve been willing to seek God by another road, God has been with us.
Those who have been experimenting with new and safer ways to lead church use the church’s mission as their compass. They know that the purpose of the church is not to stay ever the same. It exists to continue Jesus’s mission of compassion, justice, and love of God and neighbor; to invite new people into the body of Christ. Indeed, we sometimes need sanctuary and comfort. This rest is intended to strengthen us for our everyday calling of representing Christ in the world.
Yes, we are going home by another way. We find it, as did the wise men, by listening to God.
Our clergy are tired, approaching exhaustion. Clergy, I encourage you to use our coaches. Your conversations with them are completely confidential. They will listen to you and help you think through strategies for leading without burning out. (Contact Kim Shockley at kshockley@susumc.org to connect to a coach.) Church folks, I urge you to give your clergy more time for spiritual renewal. And if an important ministry needs to happen, pray over whether God is calling you to lead it.
In the coming months, the Susquehanna Conference will make available some prerecorded complete worship services. These can give clergy a break from planning and leading worship and preparing and preaching a sermon. Your church can use these for the Sundays of your choosing. Find the January worship service listed as “Rev. Gary Shockley Worship Video” at susumc.org/worship-resources. A February option will be available at the beginning of that month.
Listen for God’s voice. It may be leading us down another road. God will be there for us.
