There is No Place Like Home

A long-time friend and his wife moved to another state a few months ago to be closer to family. Overall, they are happy with their decision. They enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren and have found their new town a wonderful place to live.

They struggled, however, in finding a new church home. They visited a large congregation that had exciting music with great preaching but something seemed amiss. They attended several Sundays, met many nice people, and were impressed with the worship service. Still, they felt like a grain of sand on a beach. It felt to them that their presence, whether they were there or not, made little difference

One Sunday, they decided to attend a small church not far from where they lived. The music wasn’t nearly as entertaining and the preaching, while from the heart, lacked the dynamic quality that they would have preferred. Yet, there was something about the church that made them feel right at home. Everyone seemed to know one another on a first name basis. When the service ended, people lingered in the aisles and visited, and the kids ran outside and played. It was as if no one wanted to leave. The next Sunday they went back to the small church and a few weeks later they joined.

My friend and I talked at length about why they joined the small congregation instead of the megachurch. My friend admitted that the larger church had more activities to offer, a much stronger program for senior adults, and better music and preaching. Yet, he and his wife never felt comfortable in the megachurch. They were convinced that if they had joined the megachurch, they would have always felt like visitors. They would never have felt at home.

Home is where you can be yourself. Home is where you are loved and cared for. At home, you are not just another person; you are special, valued, known, and appreciated. Of course, there is also a downside to home—at home one is accountable. Say, for instance, it’s your turn to do the grocery shopping and you forget to do it, well, there are consequences—no dinner. The smaller the home, the greater the accountability.

Perhaps, that is one reason why some folks prefer megachurches. A member of the megachurch has all the advantages of a large congregation without the accountability. You miss contributing to the offering a few Sundays? No problem, who’s going to know. You skip church for a month or so? No sweat, no one is the wiser. You can enjoy, in anonymity, all the bells and whistles of the megachurch experience without the demands of accountability.

When Jesus started his congregation, he chose twelve charter members. Jesus knew each of these disciples, their strengths and weaknesses, and how they could contribute to his fledgling movement. The twelve were highly accountable, not only to Jesus but to each other as well.

There weren’t a lot of perks in following Jesus either. He challenged his disciples, his tiny church, to a life of self-denial, even hinting they might die in his service. They had no material wealth to speak of, were reliant on the generosity of friends for food and shelter, and were often confused by the teachings of Jesus. So, why did they join his church?

I think it was because they knew unequivocally that by joining the community of Jesus, they would be unconditionally loved; they would be part of a family, at home, so to speak. The disciples experienced a kind of love and fellowship with Jesus they had never known before. These early followers of Jesus found in him the home they had been searching for all their lives. Yes, they were highly accountable in their new home, but what they gained in being known, valued and loved was far more precious than a life of detached anonymity in a grandiose spectacle.

Whatever else the church is, church should be intimate, authentic, accountable, relational, and personal. Churches should draw us to them, not because they offer the best music or preaching or programs or organization, but because they challenge us to the highest levels of personal sacrifice and accountability. We commit our lives to the Jesus family, the church, to serve, not to be served.

After all, the healthiest families I know are the ones where everyone takes a turn at doing the grocery shopping!