Small Congregations

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20

I run across this quote this morning. I think that’s a beautiful thought. These four walls enclose a holy thing called family. Inside this home is a sanctuary. Our little congregation is knit together in love. Together, we live, sing, laugh, cry, and work. We are loyal and true to each other and to God. We are unit and when we leave our driveway, we are missionaries for God.

The most important work you’ll ever do is inside the walls of home. How many times have we read quotes that say that? We know that with our hearts and we strive to live worthy of that high calling. But with our minds, we can get distracted by the constant, mundane daily tasks. The sameness of the things we do all day, every day make it feel unimportant. The laundry gets folded, food is on our minds all day. Someone is always hungry: breakfast, lunch, supper, & snacks. There is cleaning, grocery shopping, and sewing. Seldom is the to do list finished. That doesn’t even include the referee work that parenting can feel like. That truly feels like a never ending job, especially when the children are young. Drying tears, settling fights, teaching gentleness and kindness; will it ever end? Oh and amidst all of this, don’t forget to cuddle, rock, snuggle, and read to your children and fix your hair and greet the Mr. at the door with a smile when he gets home. Is it any wonder that sometimes our hands hang down and our home feels more like a hamster wheel than a church? But, be still and know that God is there on the most hectic day. He’s not disappointed at the chaos that is our homes. He hears your whispered prayer for guidance just the same as He hears the most solemn prayer behind a pulpit. To Him, the impromptu church service on the steps, with childish voices mimicking what they hear on Sunday, is pure praise. The pile of laundry waiting to be folded can be our alter of prayer. God is there among the pots and pans. Angels attend to us as we clean bathrooms and wash floors. The soothing of large emotions in small humans is no small task. The work may seem never ending but it is one of the highest callings.

The atmosphere of your small church is shaped by your mood and the posture of your heart. What matters most is not how our home looks from the outside but how victorious you are on the inside. There will always be tasks to be done; that’s important. The teaching, by word and example, to walk on holy paths is the most important. I have come to believe God is very interested in my priorities. He is always willing to help me keep them in the right place. When parents can stay grounded in God and calm in the chaos, it feels less chaotic. When our hearts are humble and at peace that God made us in His image, with our strengths and weaknesses, our children learn to accept themselves. When we can admit we are wrong and easily say I’m sorry, they see what humility looks like. When we admit our worries and fears and give them to God, they see courage. When dads lead the home as God planned for them to, they see strength. When moms respect dad with quiet joy, they see submission. When we lead our homes with mercy and grace, kindness and firmness, consistency and quietness, they learn patience. What we do will always speak louder than what we say. We may teach manners, morals, and etiquette with our mouths but what is our lives teaching? Oh, we have such a vulnerable little congregation listening to the sermon of our lives!

There is a thought out there that how you view your parents shapes how you view God. If our home is a sanctuary where God is worshipped and talked about that will hugely impact a child’s viewpoint. If we walk the walk, they will feel that deep inside even if they don’t understand it till they are older. If we comfortably talk the talk and answer their questions about holy things, it will make God a comfortable, every day part of life. There is a sense of safety a child gets when they know mom and dad can as easily talk about God as they can talk about the weather. If dad and mom can easily speak of answered prayers, children are taught to give God praise. Every bug and flower can be a opportunity to point little hearts to God. Sometimes, it’s our children, with their childish faith, that are the preachers. Many a short little sermon has been uttered by a child. The faith that, of course, something worked “because I prayed”. We need to be reminded to become as little children.

Yes homemaking is a hard and holy work. The work is great and so are the rewards. When I think of my home as church, my heart kinda melts. I feel unworthy of the blessing of home. To make our home a sanctuary that shelters us from the storms of the world is a duty that inspires me. To think that God wants to dwell in this sanctuary humbles me. May I ever dwell in the pews of this church with contentment and joy. May the sacred significance of what I say and do be ever before me. May praise and gratitude raise from this home as a sweet smelling savor to the heavens. As we navigate through the joys and sorrows of life, may we always know that God is in the midst of us. It makes my heart happy to think of all the happy little churches flung across our world like stars in the night sky. 🤍e