This article was originally printed in the 2023 Late Pentecost Bellringer
Welcome home, friends! Welcome Home Sunday is what we are calling church the weekend of September 9th and September 10th. Many have been away for the summer or longer. It is a time to come on back home to St. Mary’s. We will have our monthly Contemplative Eucharist in the Guild Room on Saturday evening. On Sunday, we will have special coffee hours after all of the services and we will have St. Mary’s swag available (like t-shirts, sweatshirts, socks, tote bags, and water bottles). After the 9:30 AM service, parents will have time with Ryan+ to learn about the upcoming Sunday School year while the kids have special activities upstairs in Berktold Hall. The 9:30 AM Joyful Noise Choir will have their first rehearsal and the 11 AM Liturgical Choir will be back in church! And for those who cannot be there physically, we invite you to join us online for our livestream service starting at 11 AM. Welcome Home Sunday is meant to be a special invitation to come home and see old friends and make new ones.
But Welcome Home Sunday is more than just an invitation for those who have been away to come back to church; it is an invitation for all of us to come home to God. St. Augustine said “our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O God.” Welcome Home Sunday is not just about joining us physically or virtually for a worship service and some fellowship time; it is a day set aside to reflect on our spiritual lives and to try and rest our hearts in God.
Church is not the end in and of itself, relationship to God is. We gather together because it allows us to practice loving God and loving our neighbor as Jesus teaches us to do. We gather together because we can encounter God in others and in the Sacrament. Church is not the only place to encounter God, but it is one really important place. Welcome Home Sunday is a time to reflect on the different practices in and out of church that help connect us to God. For some, it might be an intentional moment to go deeper; for others, it might be a good opportunity for a reset in their spiritual journeys. Like New Years, Welcome Home Sunday might be a good time to start afresh. Whatever the situation may be for you, I hope you take this opportunity to find yourself welcomed home. I look forward to seeing you soon!
Bingham+
