I sat outside for a while this morning, enjoying the break in the heat. I was also staring at my house and yard, and seeing a few projects that need doing. One of the “joys” of home ownership is that there are always projects.
But those random thoughts led me into this meditation: home is where God begins.
“The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed.” (Genesis 2:8)
The story of Scripture begins in a home.
The garden of the Bible wasn’t just a place for growing vegetables, trees, or plants … it was a home. It was a place prepared by God where humanity could flourish, with one another and in God’s presence. The first home wasn’t merely a location (1 Main St.); it was the setting for relationship. It was a place to live, love, settle, share, and grow with God.
Much of God’s work has always taken place around kitchen tables, in conversation, and in ordinary acts of hospitality. Home is one of God’s primary classrooms.
John Wesley understood that following Christ was never meant to be private. It was lived out in community and in the rhythms of everyday life. The home was the place where Scripture was read, prayer was heard, forgiveness was extended, and love was lived out in practice. Faith wasn’t reserved for Sunday worship; it shaped Monday morning breakfasts and Wednesday evening dinners.
“Home” can be a complicated word. But the good news of the gospel is that God is still in the homebuilding business. Through Christ, we are invited into a household where broken people become family and strangers become neighbors. That is what the church is meant to be.
Today, think about the place or places you call home. A house or apartment. A church. A place where you feel at peace. Home isn’t simply where we live. It is wherever we experience the presence of God and show hospitality to others.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for being a God who dwells with us. Shape my home into a place of peace, hospitality, and grace. Where there is brokenness, bring healing. Where there is loneliness, bring your presence. In my ordinary life, help me recognize your extraordinary work. Make my home, my church, and my life a witness to your kingdom. Amen.
