Every Lord’s Day is a homecoming of sorts. We are pilgrims and strangers in the present age, heirs of the world to be sure, but sojourning in the midst of zombies and orcs. We long to be in the Shire, but Sharkey and his men have made it an unpleasant place at the moment. There are battles to be fought, and we have to sleep on the hard ground or take turns setting a watch rather than residing in the comfort of our own home. But on the Lord’s Day, we get to rest in an eschatological oasis. Rivendell and Lothlorien are not our final destination, but they are a foretaste of it, a place to rest and heal, to feast and sing, to regroup and re-arm, before we resume our journey. One the first day of every week we arrive at the house of the Interpreter and are welcomed by his daughters. It is a pleasant house, even if not our own, and we regain strength and receive new understanding and courage while we are there. God speaks peace and comfort to us so that we can continue the long journey which will finally bring us to the Celestial City and our true home. --JME
