Daily Hope for the Empty NestSample

Connecting on the Sabbath

When my children were living at home, we were active members of the same church congregation for many years. In addition to Sunday worship services, our children attended Sunday school and catechism classes there. Our son was a part of the Cadets program, which was like our denomination’s version of Boy Scouts. Our daughters participated in a similar program for girls called GEMS. There were also coed youth group activities through the middle school and high school years. My husband and I occasionally were members of small groups that met for Bible studies and social activities.

When our youngest child moved away to college, my husband and I made the decision to go “church shopping” for a new church home. Many new churches have been planted in our community in the past few decades, and our needs no longer were based on what the church offered our kids. We found renewed spiritual energy in worshipping with different congregations and listening to new pastors.

In today’s scripture, we are reminded of the joy we have in connecting with fellow believers as we visit the house of the Lord. We eventually joined a church with a younger senior pastor, whose weekly teachings took us deep into the historical roots of the Holy Land as he taught the Word of God. No matter if you stay at your current church home or find a new congregation, remember that you are always welcome in the house of the Lord.

Prayer

God, no matter where I attend church, please keep my heart always open to Your word. Amen.

Exercise

If you feel like you need some new energy in your Sunday worship experience, plan to visit a few churches in your community and see if any of them are the right fit for your empty nest spiritual needs.