Jim Reeves via last.fm
Back in my childhood (many, many years ago now), a song by Jim Reeves was very popular in my home church. It spoke of how we, as followers of Jesus and members of the Church of God, Cleveland, TN – not sure which one was more important ;o), were truly pilgrims in a strange and foreign land. The first verse and chorus goes like this:
This world is not my home I’m just a passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore
Oh Lord you know I have no friend like you
If heaven’s not my home then Lord what will I do
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore
Though I have left behind many of the beliefs and views of my childhood church, the feeling of “not being at home in this world” has never left me. In fact, the idea of being a “wayfaring stranger” is still central to my theology. I cannot leave behind the understanding that though I am in the world, I am not supposed to be a part of it. In a way, I have often felt that this was just a vestigial remainder of my upbringing, so imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered that no one less than C. S. Lewis once expressed a similar feeling.
“If I find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy, I can only conclude that I was not made for here.” — C.S. Lewis
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I gotta ask about the childhood church.
In your little welcome you mention the United Methodist Church. So, how many churches have you “wayfared” through then?
David on nakedpastor recently went through a quick listing of his own (6 differing paths, if I checked it right) and it got me to thinking about how people find faiths that fit. Or, like me, attempt to balance on the fences.
I think I will answer your question by writing a post in the next few days. The short answer is three: Church of God (Cleveland, TN), the Roman Catholic Church, and the United Methodist Church.