A Place of Comfort
I was just reminiscing about a memory when I was a little girl of about 6. I was with my mom and we went to an evening service at church. I was feeling feverish and itchy. I don’t know why, but as a kid, I never resisted the chance to go somewhere, even when I wasn’t feeling well. Turned out, once we got there it was determined by my mom and another lady that I was coming down with Chicken Pox. We stayed for the service and I don’t remember anything about it except laying down on the pew in the back of the sanctuary next to my mom and feeling comforted just being there at church.
As I got older that feeling of comfort never left. I was not in church for a time in my early twenties because of moving, but after 9/11 happened, it became a priority amongst all the uncertainty—I knew where to find the answers! Then when I was in my late twenties I went through a terrible season of life where I was full of fear and anxiety. It seemed like everything was crashing down around me at once, including physical illness, but I just kept feeling like if I could just get to church I would be okay. I remember it being a place of warmth and safety. So along with Sunday morning, I went every Sunday evening and Wednesday too.
Again, I don’t remember exactly what took place in those services, but there was something about being in the house of God, being surrounded by His people—my brothers and sisters in Christ. I could pray, worship, hear the Word of God. It was something the world just could not offer in any capacity.
Fast forward to these past couple of years and all the fear of Covid and forced lockdowns. I don’t know about anyone else, but the one thing I found most distressing was not being able to go to church and be with my fellow Believers for a time. The first time meeting up after two months of lockdowns was to pray and it was like all the tension and anxiety began to dissipate. Yeah, we had options for communicating and watching church online, but nothing made me feel connected quite like meeting in person.
My whole life church has been this way for me. Even now, whether it’s the middle of winter and it’s snowing outside, or if it’s a hot August day, there is a unique sense of peace and contentment I find there that cannot be found relaxing by my fireplace or lounging at the beach, much as I love those things. It’s a small taste of heaven, the way it truly will be, with all of God’s people worshipping with joy and unity and no fear. In fact, if you don’t feel this way, you might not like heaven after all. Because it’s a blessing, not a duty.
How is this not a thing of beauty? Christ thought it was worth dying for…
“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper, and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42-47)
