Tues, 2 Nov, 2021
Reflection on Homecoming Sunday
Diane Harvey & John Heinl
From that first Sunday in March 2020 after we left the sanctuary for who knew how long until this past glorious Homecoming Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021, John and I have found ourselves nourished and sustained by all the different ways the St John’s community has worshipped. Even in the beginning during the time of ‘shelter in place’, worship had a profound connectedness as we were led by the church staff each in the intimacy of their home spaces. Yes, we were apart, but we were still worshipping together.
That sense of connectedness grew for us as the staff continued to create and offer meaningful virtual worship through their talents and incredibly long hours. Thank you! It was great when they could finally tape the services in the sanctuary and add lay readers and special music or the virtual choir. Even though we were still mostly apart, the connectedness grew. The Christmas pageant was especially amazing! It really gave us a window into many of the families in the church and brought us so much joy. Kudos to all who made it happen!
And worship in the Goodwin Garden at Strawberry Banke this summer was wonderful – the beauty, the informality, being WITH people again! We loved it. Still - what an overwhelming joy it was to gather again in person with all of you in the sanctuary last Sunday. My heart was so full I could barely sing; and hearing the organ again which is what I missed the most brought tears to my eyes. How good it was to be home!
However, as I’ve reflected this week on what really made being together so powerful for me was not just being back in the sanctuary, it was the PEOPLE who were there. Over the last 19 months John’s and my sense of connectedness to St John’s has deepened because of the daily reflections so many of you have offered. The gift of your stories and your insights have helped us get to know you a little better, and you have blessed us. And Sunday I realized that we felt a deeper sense of homecoming because of your sharing of yourselves. You have drawn us in even as you model how to take God’s love beyond the church’s walls. Truly a gift beyond measure! Diane
As we gathered together on Sunday in the sanctuary for Homecoming and I thought about the last 19 months of being apart from the building, a memory stirred in my mind. Several years ago Diane and I were visiting her brother in Beaufort, SC and took a historical tour of the area. In conversation with the tour guide, we discovered that she used to live in Portsmouth and had been a member of St. John’s. A friend had invited her to worship with her and she discovered, in her words, “There, people are really serious about their faith, about living out love and welcome.” She stayed until she moved south, and she told us she still misses the St. John’s community.
That connectedness which sustained her while she was in Portsmouth is the same spirit of connectedness which has brought us through this time apart, and I know it will guide us into the future. Praise be to God. John