Home again …

You’ll likely get tired of hearing that a long time before I get tired of saying it.  Elaine said to me several times over the last few days … even during the retreat in PEI, “I can hardly wait to get home.”  This makes me happier than I know how to express.  I have always wanted her to be happy wherever we found ourselves.

Even my dog is glad to be home.  This picture says it all.

Thanks to all for giving us the time to attend this most beneficial gathering with other pastor friends.  It was above and beyond anything that you needed to do, this early into our relationship.  Our hope is that the investment will have an ongoing, positive spill-over among our church family.

We spent the entire weekend wandering around the Emmaus road account, trying to imagine what that experience would have been like for Cleopas and the “other” disciple.  The words, “but we had hoped” stay with me even this morning.  It was the death of a dream that that they vocalized to Jesus, as their grief kept them from recognizing His Presence with them … they were mourning their loss, failing to recognize their gain at the very same time.

Jesus was risen and still their dream was dead.  They were looking for a Jesus of their own making or imagination.  He was to be the political deliverer of the nation of Israel.  How many times do we miss God’s help and deliverance because we expect Him to function according to our dreams or dictates.  It is only as our own dreams are laid to rest that we find something new in Christ.  A bigger dream.  A better dream.

We’ll meet on Thursday this week and continue to contemplate God’s bigger, better dream for CLC.  In these days, let’s gently lay the past to rest and look to the future which is held in God’s hands.  He is doing a new thing, not a rerun.

And perhaps you may be grieving some loss this week as well.  Read though the Emma’s Road account and watch how Jesus comes alongside those who have lost hope.  We were among those Emmaus pilgrims but finally, after the death of our dreams, we found our way home.

Blessings on you all this week.