should be like walking into a manger,
not a hall of judgment—
a place so shorn of self-righteousness,
so free of all reproach,
that the hungering heart will feel no
shame, no awkward fear,
no insecurity.
Sitting in a church
should be like sitting in a field of sunlight—
comfortable and warm—
while Love's sweet air is bearing
fragrances of Christ's simplicity.
Experiencing church
should be like walking through*a stream,
where Christly ministrations
wash your feet and thoughts
and make you clean.
Oh, yes—I know how I expect my
church to feel ....
Dear Father-Mother, teach me
now the way to make it real.
* A correction was made in the February 1985 German Herold and the March 1986 French Heraut, in which this poem was reprinted and translated: "wading in” was changed to “walking through”.↑
