this is a new blog which is specific in its objective to acquire insight and activity which might lend itself to the notion of home as a sanctuary and somehow fundamental to all perceptions of the world be they political social artistic practical or essential
I think sanctuary is a key word. A home should be a sanctuary. It should be a place where one belongs and is welcome, where one is not only free to be oneself but is encouraged to be one's self, where one is valued for who one is.
ReplyDeleteMy home of origin was and is indeed a sanctuary. It was a place where I could share my joys and pains. I could share an accomplishment and be congratulated. I could share the pain of what someone said to me at school and be consoled. Even as an adult,I find a sense of solace and comfort in being with my family members. No matter how much I have been beat up and bruised in the work place, when I am with my family for extended period of time I am pervaded with a sense that I have a place where I belong and am safe.
I think my longing for community stems from a long to once again have a place of sanctuary where I am accepted, received and encouraged by others who love me.
I wonder if part of our role in life is to create homes, to create spaces of sanctuary for others, which, of course, we can only do when we are securely loved by at least one other person. The love of a husband and wife for each other, enabled by God's love for them, in turn enables them to create a loving home for children and guests. Years ago I read an article on the Trinity by Kallistos Ware, which expressed this beautifully. Perhaps the love experienced by members of a monastic community, from God and from each other,is what enables them to open their doors and their hearts to provide for guests.
In my own Christian life I have often felt spiritually homeless during the past few years--neither the Catholic Church nor the Presbyterian Church nor the Vineyard Church feels like home to me. None of these feel like a safe haven where I can be fully myself, express my deepest desires for God's will in my life, and feel supported and encouraged for ministry in the world by Christians who understand me. I am not complaining; I am just making an observation. Perhaps this is why I turn to personal prayer and conversations with individual Christian friends for the strength and support I need for ministry. This doesn't mean I neglect going to church; I just expect less from it.
Maybe periods of feeling spiritually homeless are just a part of the Christian life. "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
ReplyDeletefoxes have dens....this is good for people who've accepted the reality of Christ and are willing to make a covenant with the essence of belief...otherwise it seems to me that the home is the vital context for nurturing nature...and a place to learn the rudiments of ethics
I'm seeking some sort of understanding for the theology of home...in the case of the newborn child the mother and father are the "god's" of the home...this primordial conveyance of love providence and security goes largely unrecognized by the person who needs it the most...yet without this stance on the part of parents everything falls apart
learning accepting working out ones emotional life is all part of the discipline of home
but I suppose for people being held to the demands of parenthood the proposal is more one of being gentle gods
and this therefor requires some personal understanding of the their own need for home and the need for protection and assistance from god...at the very least some daily solace
my first ( actual ) post will treat the physical requirements of home
thanks sally for your initial input
church is reflective of home
at least in the traditional catholic sense
insofar as the table is central
when we lose sight of the table
or the priority of table is shifted aside
other things take precedence
I'm thinking there's something vital to home life
and to worship in this
...
Sounds good
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to more!
:-)
OK, so apparently I was aware of this blog from the outset but forgot about it. So glad to have discovered it again.
ReplyDelete