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 throughA 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”.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.
