Going Home Again

I think it was Thomas Wolfe who wrote a book of stories he called "You Can't Go Home Again." It is a theme that has occurred to me several times recently as I have talked with missionary friends about culture shock and the problems of adjusting to a new culture. Most people know that life will be different when they move to Africa or even Europe, but the are often more culturally shocked then they return home.
This past week-end Greta and I attended and I gave a dedication sermon in the first church we served as Minister just after graduating from Bible college - The Slate Valley Christian Church located on a winding country road north of the little town of Owingsville in Bath County, Kentucky. It was 1960, we were 22 years old and just out of college.
While not much has changed in this "Little Church in the Valley", everything is different, and so are we. So while I think Thomas Wolfe was right, you can't go home again, it sure is nice to try. Some old friends are gone, passed away or moved, but a surprising number are still there. One lady was a teen ager then and played the piano for the church is now a retired school teacher, retiring after 31 years of teaching. One of the church elders, whom I thought was much older then, is still there, still an elder and looks much the same. Others have changed so much I could not recognize them at all and we had a lot of fun guessing who was who.
It was also inspiring to see the church still thriving. It is not a "mega" church or even a "big" church. There were about 70 people there for the Sunday afternoon program. The little sanctuary was actually crammed. Everyone was happy to see the beautiful new stained glass windows, new carpet, church furniture and other projects they had completed and were there to dedicate to the glory of God. Probably most heartening was the large number of children. The church was established in 1898. If they keep going like they are, they can celebrate 200 years in 2098.