The Church’s Front Porch
I recently heard a song by Joy Williams titled “Front Porch.” The song is an invitation or call to come back home—to return to the familiar front porch where so many memories were made. The chorus goes like this:
“If never you find what you’re looking for
Come on back to the front porch
Say my name through the screen door
Come on back to the front porch
Whatever you’ve done, it doesn’t matter
'Cause darling we're all a little splintered and battered
But the light is on, what you waiting for?
Come on back, come on back to the front porch.”
Distance truly does make the heart grow fonder. I think all of us can relate to that achy feeling we get in our hearts when we miss someone.
The more I’ve listened to this song, the more I thought about our present moment in the church. Both small and big churches are yearning for all their members to come back home (as much as personal health and safety allows). As pastors, we miss how things used to be, and people are not shy admitting that they have gotten out of the rhythm of church life.
The truth is, we are not mad with the folks who’ve stopped attending, and neither are the other pastors to whom I talk. We simply miss our people. We got into ministry to be in a relationship with people and help them draw close to God. The Greek word we translate as “church” (ecclesia) literally means assembly. To have a congregation, you must have people who are willing to congregate.
Like the song, pastors are saying that it really doesn’t matter where you’ve been or what has kept you from the ecclesia/ assembly. All that matters now is coming back home. “We’re all a little splintered and battered. But the light is on, what you waiting for?”
Personally, it’s among the gathered-faithful that I meet our Lord most clearly. Church, for me and hopefully for you, is a place of restoration and renewal, healing and hope—which is something I think we are all in desperate need of today.
“If never you find what you’re looking for come on back to the front porch.”
The church may not say this exact line word for word, but it gets to the heart of what we’re trying to do. We love you, and we miss you.
