“Home is a place where, when you go there, they have to take you in.”
Robert Frost
Dear Friends,
Welcome home!
For over 180 years, Royal Oak First has been the spiritual home to thousands of different people—people of different ages, races, and backgrounds. It has been a place where people have experienced real love, made some real friends and had a chance to make a real difference in the world. This church home has helped people mark some of life’s most important moments—thousands of baptisms, weddings and funerals. Life has been shared here and God has blessed this house.
Today this is your home. Whether you have grown up in this church or you are brand new around here, today this place is your home. Whether you come almost every week or you can only get here a few times a year, today this place is your home. Whether you voted for President Trump or you supported Secretary Clinton, today this place is your home. Whether you love our pastors or you think our pastors are crazy, today this place is your home. You are welcome here!
What does it mean to call a place home?
Home means there is a place for you at the table. Home means, when we have a meal, you are invited to eat with us. Home means, when you have done well in the world, you have people who will celebrate with you; and it means, when you screw up, you can get a fresh start. Home is where you have roots—it is where you have people.
This week I met Andrew. Andrew had just come in off the street. The heat of the day was wearing heavy upon him. He was weary. His worn shirt had been sweat right through. Lunch had already been served a couple of hours ago. It wasn’t our day to hand out clothes. It wasn’t our day to give out toiletries. But Fred (Pastor Fred as we now call him around here) let him in, found him some food, got him a bottle of water, made sure he got a new shirt, and found him a bar of soap and some toothpaste. Then Andrew just sat for a minute and rested from the heat of the day. For a few minutes, this place was his home.
Welcome home. We are glad you are here!
