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I’m about to reveal a little known fact about me. I am a huge fan of movie musicals! I can remember my grandmother taking a bunch of us to the movies regularly, leaving us with a big baggie full of candy (so that we would not have to buy the more expensive stuff at the theater. In those days, you could watch the movie as many times as you wanted, or see more than one movie in one visit.
One of my favorite musicals is ‘The Sound of Music’. In it, the main character is ‘Maria’. Since she was a young girl, Maria has wanted to become a nun, but it’s not working out too well. Everything she does seems to be the opposite of what she should be doing. In an effort to try to help her figure her life out, she is sent to work for the Von Trapp family as the governess of 7 somewhat unruly children and a widower. The movie is set in Austria. (Spoiler alert – I give things a way later.)
For me, Maria’s story is a snapshot of the Christian life. She is first anchored in God’s love and providential care as she grows up in the convent. And then, God calls her to a new life; a different life; -- a life where she will be challenged, stretched, and forced to rely, in faith, on God’s direction. All thru the movie she starts sentences with ‘The Reverend Mother says this or that…”, as she uses the things that she’s learned about God to encourage herself when she is scared, and empower herself when she feels inadequate. At one point she runs away – backwards – in the opposite direction from where she knows God is leading her – because she is scared of not knowing where that is. But her faith turns her around and moves her forward (this is the climactic ‘Climb Every Mountain’ scene).
When she begins to really embrace the life that God has clearly ordained for her, you see the change in her. Suddenly, in the last half of the movie she becomes this confident woman who is up for the challenges God has placed in front of her. And we see some of how God’s plan takes shape. She and her newly formed family have to leave their home country because of the dawn of Nazism in Austria.
The movie begins and ends in the shadow of these beautiful, majestic mountains, surrounding first Maria alone and then Maria and her family; for me, signaling God’s awesome presence, power and protection. At the end, as they cross those mountains on foot, they are effectively homeless. But strangely the scene does not inspire sadness. It inspires hope. They have created this family unit that is powerfully joined in love. And, they are free - free from oppression, free from fear. In 2 Timothy 1:7, scripture says that, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline”. We see all of this come to life in Maria. She is on a journey – she doesn’t know where it will end and neither do we. But, looking at her character, we can begin to grasp the role of the Holy Spirit in our own lives.
That’s the Christian life. We are called to be spiritual - and sometimes even physical - nomads! Just like our ancestors in the faith, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, the disciples, and in this morning’s scripture text, Paul - we are called to a sort of continual movement. We are a people longing for HOME. We are called to continuously be hungry and thirsty for HOME. The Psalmist says, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God (Psalm 42:1). I think where we sometimes lose our way in our travelling is we forget to revisit the question - where and what is ‘home’?
I was at a clergy retreat a couple of weeks ago, and one of my colleagues shared a dream which reminded him of a childhood memory. He comes from a family of 8 children who grew up in an apartment – so space was an issue. As the youngest, he used to crawl up under the coffee table and watch television. Sometimes, he’d fall asleep there. In his dream, he realized that table was sort of an ‘icon of God’ for him. It covered him; protected him; it was a sanctuary for him. That memory was so moving to me; it told me that. Home can be anywhere, even up under a coffee table. Home can be a person, place or thing. Wherever or whatever it might be for you, there is something about a sense of ‘home’ that comforts; gives peace; even when the surrounding activity or circumstances are noisy, crazy, fearsome, hurtful or chaotic.
Where and what is home? Well, I think we can actually hold our two lesson texts up next to each other to get some insight. It’s great because in one we can see concept or idea; in the other, life application. On this Sunday, where we celebrate Mothers Day and the Festival of the Christian Home, in John’s Gospel, Jesus leaves us with words of reassurance about where we can find ‘home’. In the Book of Acts Lydia, in becoming the first European convert to Christ, demonstrates what it means to make a home for God in our own lives.
Based on what the text tells us, Lydia’s life is pretty well established. She owns and runs her own business and household. We can surmise that her business is lucrative because she is a dealer in purple cloth; an expensive cloth because of the cost of the dye used to make it; and, because purple was a color generally worn only by kings and nobles – those who could afford it. We also know that, she is a ‘spiritual nomad’. Something has touched her: God’s prevenient grace has already begun working in her life. She is devout Jew; a worshiper of God, and she is in worship when we encounter her. The gospel writer tells us ‘the Lord had opened Lydia’s heart not just to hear, but to respond to Paul’s message.
The disciples had arrived in town a few days before, and on the Sabbath, went in search of the synagogue or meeting place, which was their normal practice when they came to a new town. But, there was no established unique building. If we do a little background work, we discover this is probably because there were not enough Jewish men in Philippi to create a quorum and establish a synagogue. The women, no matter how well to do, would not have been allowed to do this. But, that did not deter these women. They created a space for their worship of God. They met by the river. That’s where Paul and his companions found them.
What and where is home? For the Christian, ‘home’ is God’s dwelling place. Maybe part of the answer to our question this morning, is that we first need to create a space - a home - for our worship of God. Maybe, it is not limited to this building. Maybe it’s small and simple, like sitting beside a river. Maybe the location is not important at all. Perhaps, simply the desire and commitment to engage in heartfelt worship, wherever and whenever - is more important. And, that it is done in community: with other believers, with family, with friends. It’s not that we cannot worship in our times of quiet solitude. But, maybe worship at its best is a community event.
Lydia does indeed respond to Paul’s words, and she embraces the Gospel. So much so that she is ultimately baptized and so are the members of her household. She then opens up her home to the disciples as a place out of which the ministry of Christ can be carried forth, throughout Philippi and beyond. She is crystal clear about her commitment. She says to Paul –“if you consider me to be a believer – come and stay at my house.” The converse being, if you don’t think I’m sincere about being a believer – then don’t come stay with me.” Of course, he did not refuse.
What and where is ‘home’? Do you think God is challenging us to have our physical dwelling place be ‘home base’ for our ministry to the community around us? Have we extended the invitation? Can we say to God “If you consider me to be a believer, come and stay at my house”? Has God accepted the invitation? But wait, before you answer that last question, consider what you are offering your ‘guest’ if you extend it. Jesus reminds us several times in scripture that we must count the cost of discipleship. And, I’m sure we know from experience that when you invite guests into your home for an extended stay, you might get more than what you bargained for.
In our gospel lesson, Jesus is pretty clear about the accommodations God is expecting: "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.” (John 14:23-24, NIV).
What and where is ‘home’? A place where God’s teaching is discerned, discovered, explored and obeyed. Now, I recognize the word ‘obey’ is a hard one for us, culturally – me included. It smacks of patriarchy, slavery, oppression, racism, sexism, control. We are loathe to say it in our marriage vows. We inwardly flinch at it – I admit I do. But, God’s word makes clear that this is not about any of that. That is our human baggage. This is about love. It is about our response to God’s love for us. Our response - to the amazing sacrifice that we still celebrate in this season of Eastertide. God gave His only Son so that we might have everlasting life if we repent and believe. If we are sincere about returning even a fraction of that love, God calls us to obedience to that which Jesus teaches us; teachings that come right from the heart of God. That is what we are offering when we invite God to come and stay at our house.
If we would extend this invitation, the triune God doesn’t come into our home alone or empty-handed. SHE brings with her peace. Peace unlike anything the world can offer you. Peace that passes human understanding. God becomes a community to worship with: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Engage with God daily, and discernment and wisdom about Christ’s teachings will come, and so too, the will and discipline to obey. And, as if we deserved more than we have already received; as if we could match the love that God has already bestowed upon us; if we would choose to cohabitate with God at our invitation, God promises us an even greater home at His invitation.
At the very beginning of this passage in John 14, Jesus leaves us with these words of assurance, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:1-3)
What and where is ‘home’? For the Christian, ‘home’ is God’s dwelling place. We are a people longing for HOME. We are called to continuously be hungry and thirsty for HOME. For now, we open our hearts and our homes to God so that HE might cohabitate with us. But, someday, we shall go and live with Him.
What and where is ‘home’? John has a vision that he shares with us in Revelation:
“And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 21:10; 21:22-22:5)
Whether that is what it is really going to be like, physically. Or whether it just describes the feeling and essence of what it is going to be like to finally go and live with God…. that’s HOME!
Glory Be to God.
 

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