What makes a school feel like “home”? After all, home is where the heart is, right? So…the question is, can my heart really beat for a school?
Yes. The answer is simple because the school is HTLS. However, it may be a
surprise that I am not going to discuss only the school in this blog; something hit me today after attending a church event.
I write this only two hours after Pastor Dan Prugh’s installation as Pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. I must admit that this was my first ever time to witness an installation of a pastor and the ceremony brought tears to my eyes. Not the ceremony itself, but the people who were in the pews and the many pastors who stood in front of us, to welcome Pastor Dan to our family. I looked to my left and saw The Hoppe family, three of them at least, because their daughter was seated to my right with Tori (my daughter) and Lily Reilly. I looked directly ahead and saw the entire staff of HTLS and the church choir around them. I looked to where the many visiting pastors sat and saw Pastor Kurt who we have grown to love so very much and who we are eternally grateful for – he will always be a part of HTLC for me and my family. Seated behind the pastors were the Robinsons, probably the
kindest couple I know, and behind them the Lipka and Fussell families. To round out the right side of the sanctuary, was the Pollards and the Knechts. I go into such detail because this detail is why this place is “home” to the Walkers. The fact I can look around a church and name the families has never been my reality. Actually, I can not only name the families, I am in relationship with these wonderful Christians.
The feeling in the church was one of pure joy and we were all filled with the love of Jesus Christ. Love was palpable today and I felt like I was “home,” surrounded by those who know where our focus needs to be in life…our focus must be on friends, family, and the church.
There was a section of the ceremony when the teachers of HTLS and the students who are also church members, sang the most touching song to Pastor. I could not believe I was this lucky to be a part of a place where church and school come together so perfectly in a union that only God has created. In a time so politically charged and with such tension in our country the past 6 months, I needed to be exactly where I was today. My eyes were opened to why we are here to live this crazy ride of life: we are here to bring the love of Christ to the world. We are here to be in genuine relationship with others and to build communities that honor the
Lord. What I see right here – right here at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church – is the community I have always wanted to be a part of for my entire life.
There is no place like home.