Too Sick for Steeples: Home Church at the White House

     There are going to be times whether you like it or not, that leaving your house on Sunday morning just isn't going to happen. For us, this Sunday was one of those times. The sinus infection I'd been attempting to fight off for a couple days fought back with a vengeance, gluing shut my eyelids, blocking all nasal breathing, and turning my usual soprano pipes into those of a rasping 80 year old emphysemic smoker.  Deep sea lion barking coughs shook my entire body, and I knew that for that day at least, I was defeated. I considered sending the rest of the family on to church without me, but after peeling one eye open and blinking into the faces of children with snotty noses and crusty eyes of their own, I made an executive decision to skip church (Insert giant gasp....probably due mostly to respiratory issues rather than astonishment), and have Home Church instead.

    Typically, when we have Home Church (It's happened a few times over the past couple years.), we gather in the cozy office/fire place room and join together in song and prayer, and one of the girls (usually middle daughter who loves to be the "preacher") reads a bible story. In fact, several months ago, when we had Home Church due to extreme exhaustion and over-sleeping, the 8 year old, planned the entire service complete with hand-made bulletins and apple juice and Hawaiian roll communion. However, this Sunday, instead of making me move and start my hacking again, everyone gathered in our bedroom to worship.

Our usual Home Church sanctuary.

     The girls set up an alter on the dresser and lit the candles to symbolize the presence of the Light (aka Jesus) in our midst. Of course, the lighting of the candles had to be done three times because they each thought they needed to be the one to light them...and blow them out.

Casual dress is obviously acceptable at Home Church.

      In the past when worshiping at home, we've had congregational singing with praise songs and favorite hymns, but even though we could have done a pretty fair job with "Mama Sang Bass, Papa Sang Tenor," Jason and I decided to let the girls handle the music this time.  Each daughter shared special music with us. Middle child started out the service with a rousing rendition of "This is the Day that the Lord has Made".   Our oldest sang Amazing Grace quite beautifully, and the little one sang "This Little Light of Mine" on repeat until one of her sisters finally helped her find the final line. I have to admit, that each of our girls have been blessed with lovely voices, and it makes my heart happy to hear them using their gifts to glorify God.

     Although middle daughter was once again quite willing to play the preacher part, I asked Jason to share a devotion with us from the book I got him for his birthday. (Which he has know opened once. I'm a terrible gift giver.) He chose one entitled "Little People, Great Deeds" which compared Gandalf's choosing of Bilbo to go on the quest to God choosing the weak to complete tasks they could certainly not accomplish without His strength. Being big Hobbit fans, I thought my husband and his girls would enjoy this devotional, but to be completely honest it was a bit long and difficult to follow and so full of Hobbit terminology that I felt very Penny from Big Bang Theory for a while.

Not a bad devotional, really, unless you're a kid or not a big Hobbit fan.

     The most touching part of the service for me was the sharing of joys and concerns and praying together. It gave us a chance to talk about friends in need and things that were bothering us as well as things that make us happy. It gave my girls an opening to express that they wished we'd all stop yelling so much, and a chance for us to pray about it and ask God to help our family deal more kindly with one another. It was a chance to stop our oldest as she mindlessly began to recite the first lines of her usual prayer and ask her to take a breath, think with her heart, and remember to talk to God and not at Him. And suddenly, there we were, a family of five huddle on our queen sized bed, at peace in the presence of God, and I couldn't help but wonder why we wait so long to worship with one another.

 There was no Steeple on our building and no Chase to get us there,

 but our family worship time has a price beyond compare.

 I highly recommend you give this church a try;

It requires just your home, and your family by your side.