Can I Go Back Sometime?

I remember my first experience with a nursing home. I remember the smell of urine when I went in. I remember the lady in the wheel chair in the hallway who reached out, and how I was quickly told not to touch her. I remember how scared I was of this place.

That memory is why my heart sings when my children ask when they can go back to Rolling Meadows. 

 Zeke, on the way to school one day, said, “Mom, you know that place you work?”

I responded, “the church?”

“No, the other place.”

That is the only place I work. “Can you describe it for me?”

We continued like this, until it hit me. He was talking about the Nursing Home. Finally I asked if that was what he meant.

“Yeah. Can I go back there sometime?”

Yes, Zeke, you sure can!!!

This last Sunday, I had the great privilege of taking my two kids and Lyndzy down to lead worship. They did a short little skit of our story, about Bartimeaus. While Zeke wandered around sucking his fingers, Lydia and Lyndzy led song after song. When I put them on the spot, they shared different prayers they have memorized. A congregation of about 25 joined them in reciting the Lord’s Prayer, the God is Great prayer, and the Johnny Apple Seed prayer. Then we learned together the ancient Jesus Prayer.

It was everything I love about worship.

Not that we sang my favorite songs, but that everyone was singing the songs together, helping each other with motions and clapping and joy.

Not that the skit was perfectly rehearsed, but that the story of Jesus came alive in the kids pretending.

Not that our prayers were perfect, but that they mystically joined people from different worlds…different generations and different culture norms…as one body.

We didn’t know everyone there, but when we got hugs from Mary Silvers, we felt deeply loved. And when 

Mary apologized for not “coming to church,” we were able to say, “That’s okay Mary. When you can’t come to church, we will come to you.”

So like Zeke, I walked away thinking, “Can I go back sometime?”

When…and Where…was the last time you worshiped like that?