The Infrequent Opportunity I Couldn't Pass Up
I've embarked on this writing leave from settled parish ministry and this was my first week not preaching or leading worship. Last week I preached at my "home" church, Second Congregational Church United Church of Christ in Attleboro, Massachusetts. It was wonderful to be welcomed home and to see friends; it will be wonderful to attend infrequently over the next several months when I have no worship obligations elsewhere, especially when I get to play handbells...the one activity I have missed most since I left 10 years ago. I miss my people in Schellsburg tremendously, but almost without exception in the eight days I've been back, the first thing people I know have said to me (whether Attleboro church folks, colleagues, or friends in the community) is, "WELCOME HOME!" I did something today I haven’t done very many other times in my life: I attended a church where I had no professional role, knew no one in the congregation, and had no connection to the