August 8 is Homecoming for the Pisgah congregation. The day includes worship at 9:30 a.m., Gospel singing by Unity 4 at 10:30 and a fellowship meal at (about) noon. This is an important day in our congregation for a number of reasons. Among them is the tradition of welcoming former members and other folks who have some connection with our church. We know that the Pisgah Church family is an important part of the life of many people throughout the region. People who have loved ones buried in our church cemetery also feel a deep connection with the congregation.
Homecoming is a time of celebration
The festive nature of such a day is also meaningful to many of us. At times the burden of the kinds of things we see on the news, the struggle that a lot of people have in their own lives, health concerns, economic conditions and a variety of other stress-inducing factors can cause us to lose focus on the larger picture of our lives. When we come together with a beloved church family and do so at a place that has offered nurture and comfort in our lives, when we hear the gospel message proclaimed in word and music, when we share a grand meal together, it is an uplifting day. Our spirits are the better for having joined in such a day.
Homecoming embraces our history
August 8 is also an important day because we are able to resume this great tradition after having been denied the opportunity last year. In 2020 we viewed the cancellation of the day’s event as a health-related necessity. There was not a lot of choice. But, in the moment, the regret at calling off Homecoming didn’t really set in. As time has gone along, and as we have made a couple of false starts at resuming our full program, we have felt a deepening sorrow at this lost opportunity to celebrate our connection and common heritage as people who treasure the minis try of Pisgah Church. So, this Homecoming Sunday is not merely a “catch-up” day, but it is an affirmation of the importance of our Homecoming tradition and all that it represents.
“Homecoming” is not merely a title
Besides the celebratory aspect of the day there is also a deeper, almost primal facet to our observance. “Homecoming.” “Home-coming.” In holiday seasons, we frequently hear the question, “Are you going home for Christmas?” or “Are the children coming home for Thanksgiving?” Most of us have a vision of some place that comes to mind when we hear the word “home.” As this is true of the house of our youth that is also accurate when we speak of our “home church.” For a lot of people that phrase conjures up memories of the church where we were baptized, where we came to know Christ, where we first joined the church. “Home church” may mean the place where one was married, where children were baptized and reared. It may invoke recollections of the funeral service of one or more loved ones. Whatever the personal connotation, “home church” is an emotion-inducing phrase for a great many of us. So, when we come to this Homecoming Sunday, we do so with a lot of personal emotion.
Homecoming speaks to the vitality of a local church
So, we are all looking forward to this great day. The events that make up the whole are tremendously exciting, and I believe that all who come together will enjoy it immensely. But I also want to observe that there are two parts to that phrase “home church.” Up to this point I have spent all of my energy exploring the concept of “home.” But it is vital that we remember that the most important component of that thought is “church.” In speaking about those things that make our home church memorable, every item on that roster is something that takes place within the context of worship. To gather together in the adoration and praise of Almighty God is our first order of business. The thing that gives “home” its power within the observance of Homecoming is that it speaks of our “home CHURCH.”
So, I look forward to sharing a time with all of you who will be coming “home.”
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