ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
January 13, 2022
I went to preach at my home church in Lincoln, Nebraska, a number of years ago. It was a great experience, but what I felt to be a strongly worded sermon was greeted with comments like, “Oh Bruce, it is so nice to have you here. I always thought you’d become a minister. Your mom must be so proud.” Maybe I’m overestimating what I said or how I said it, but I don’t think most people were able to hear what was preached. Instead, nostalgia and their love for me (and my family) influenced what they heard. In some situations, a hometown will treat its son/daughter very poorly…especially when that individual comes as a prophet. But I also think there are times when the hometown doesn’t accept the voice of its beloved son/daughter simply because of the relationship. For that very reason, it is usually makes sense to be cautious when we return home. Even Jesus had to go elsewhere to find people who really heard his message as we learn in Luke 4, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown.”
Wherever you send me, O Gracious God, may I make the needed difference in the lives of those I meet. Amen.
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So glad you are back!