From the Pastor

The laundry machine is running, two kittens are playing with my feet and I’m reading an email. As invitation to learn about refugee sponsorship from MCC opens with the words, “I hope that you’re reading this from the comfort of your home. Having a place to call home feels like the most normal thing, and yet it is also very special.” This resonated with me. I’m currently house sitting for my sister—using dishes that aren’t my own and picking clothes from a suitcase. While I don’t feel that this is my home, I remain grateful to have a place of rest (with the bonus of kitten snuggles). As my email reminds me, not all have this luxury.

I felt I had a home in Kenya, and upon returning to the country I referred to as home the entire time I was away, I’ve experienced waves of feeling homeless. At my SALT re-entry retreat I was told, “to re-enter is to be temporarily homeless,” but the warning didn’t prepare me. Navigating this state has made me think a lot more about the meaning of home. For me, home has always been far more than bricks, insulation and wood beams; home is feelings of belonging and connection. At the Deacon’s Retreat, the word home came about during discussions about what it means to be a member of the church. Would you identify the church as a home for you? Do you feel a sense of connection and belonging in this space? If not, perhaps the question is: what needs to change for the church to become a home, a place that is both normal and special? My prayer is that, by God’s grace, we all will feel a sense of home, wherever we may be.

 - Amelia Warkentin