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Lutheran Life 13 When your feelings are too tender to allow you to come into God's presence and when you can't work up the courage to step into God's house, God is willing to visit you where you are. Home visits are His specialty. GOD KNOWS YOU NEED THE CHURCH The Church coming to you involves much more than catching a worship service on television or joining an online worship opportunity from the safety of your living room. It means more than reading God's Word on your own or praying in the privacy of your home. God created the Church because we need one another. The Church is a living and breathing organism, enlivened by the resurrection of Jesus and the sending of His Holy Spirit. God's Church consists of sent people, receiving and sharing His love and grace. It is true that God's people aren't perfect. Some may disappoint you. But God will provide others who lift you up in your times of need. He will bless you with shoulders to lean on. GOD SENDS HIS CHURCH TO YOU If you feel like you can't muster up the stamina to go to church, ask the church to stop by and see you. Your pastor will be pleased to sit with you, to listen, and to pray. He will be glad to share the Lord's Supper with you. Christian friends will be overjoyed to stop by for a personal time of conversation and worship. It may be exactly what you need as you gradually and gently phase into your former routine. If you don't want to immerse yourself fully in a crowd of people, and you can't bear the thought of seeing the familiar surroundings that trigger your sadness, let a little community of trusted friends come to you so you can bring your praise and prayer to your Savior with people you trust and love. Take it slow, knowing that even if you feel far away, God is always close to you. w Adapted from Hope When Your Heart Breaks: Navigating Grief and Loss, pages 139–40 © 2017 Michael W. Newman. Published by Concordia Publishing House.

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