My husband recently wrote and recorded a song called "Come Home". It's such a great song. It's a gritty, raw song acknowledging church hurt and letting the listener know that even though people in the church might have hurt you, you can come home to Jesus. He will be waiting for you when you are ready. Very powerful lyrics over super dope music. When Tauren and I discussed this song in his last podcast episode in season 2 of The High Note, we began talking about the prodigal son. Of course, the theme of coming home to the church after being away, is always then compared to the prodigal son story in the Bible and rightfully so. Jesus told this parable for that reason exactly.
A lot of people have been hurt by the church, including me, and someone else you might know, Jesus. He was sentenced to death by church people. He knows more than all of us how hurtful religious people can be. As a church leader, Paul reminds the church that he is just a human like every one else. He isn't perfect. No one in the church is. We are all broken sinners on the same Christian journey, but still, we can be paralyzed from returning to the church amidst our hurt and likely justified feelings. Here is the good news. When the prodigal son was returning home, he got to the Father before he ever got to the house. Read that again. He got to the Father before he got to the house. When he decided he wanted to make his way back, he just started that direction and the Father met him. He was welcomed, forgiven. loved, accepted, healed, restored in the very moment that his Father embraced him. You have access to Jesus any time, any where. You could be sitting in your car right now reading this blog as you wait for your Starbucks order and come home to Jesus right where you are. How beautiful and powerful is that!?
Once you have been with the Father then you can make your way back to the HOUSE. There is a celebration waiting for you there and the best news is, you aren't returning alone. Jesus is right there with you, proudly walking you in.
We need community. We need to be in the house of God each week. Part of the reason the prodigal returned is because he was left all alone after his money ran out. He needed godly relationships and a community of believers around him. That's why the Father didn't just stay outside with his son, but he gathered everyone and brought him inside the house. God created us for community and relationship. I'll have to do a whole separate blog on how we as the church should receive the prodigals. That will be for another time. =)
Come home today. Come to Jesus. Just call out to Him right now, right where you are and I guarantee that you will begin to feel His presence and he will receive you with open arms.
You can bring your doubts
You can think out loud
Love will hear you out
Come home
- Tauren Wells, "Come Home"
Lean in to Life. It’s messy, but beautiful.
Much love,
LB