The Back Porch

Everyone needs a place of respite and peace where our spirit can be nourished and fed. One such place for me is the screened-in back porch at my home. It’s nothing fancy, but comfortable with porch furniture, including several rockers (my personal favorite). We have some potted plants there along with a few strands of white lights that are hung up high, making this an enjoyable place to go in the evening. But I find that the best time to be on the porch is very early in the morning as the day is dawning. In decent weather, this is my go-to place for daily devotions as I spend time in God’s Word and come before the Lord in prayer.

There on the porch, in the quiet beauty of the early morning, and with a cup of hot tea nearby, I give thanks to God. I give thanks for the wonder and gift of God’s good creation that I see all around me: the light of the rising sun playing on the leaves of trees; the ever-deepening green hue that is seen in the leaves of the trees as the season progresses. I see and hear birds busy at their tasks and singing their morning song of praise. I see flowers and plants that testify to intricacy of design and stunning color combinations from the hand of the Master Gardener. Sometimes I hear wild turkeys who live in the wetlands and woods nearby. Sometimes I see a tiny darting shadow among the flowers, and if I look closely, can even get a glimpse of that hummingbird. And I am reminded that I am not the only one who calls this place home. Home is shared with countless other creatures and plants – something which good stewardship reminds me that I can never forget. Even here in the densely populated area of northern Virginia, there is solitude and stillness to be found that feeds the spirit.

The psalmist writes: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the earth proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). So true! This is the gift that I receive when I’m on the back porch early in the morning. It’s a gift that changes with each day because no two days are ever the same. Our faith confesses this truth in the First Article of the Creed: “I believe in God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.” As Lutheran Christians, our “home base” is the Second Article of the Creed that focuses on the Person and work of Jesus Christ. That is where we are most comfortable. But before we can get to the Second Article, we must reckon with the First Article. “God has made me and all creatures…” as Luther puts it in his explanation of the First Article. And if that is true – and I believe that it is most certainly true – then you and me should be spending more time on our respective back porches observing what God has made that is right there before our very eyes. And in observing, we also give thanks to God.

There is so much that weighs heavily on us individually and collectively right now: the situation with COVID-19, the continuing struggle for racial equality in our nation, the presidential election in November, the great divides that threaten to tear our country apart. Within our own congregation we have had to pivot quickly to online worship, learning, and fellowship over these last six months. We have experienced a reduction in staff with Pastor Campbell’s departure over the summer. We miss greatly the in-person coming together of God’s people. When will things return to the way they were? We are seeking to discern with much prayer what the Lord is doing in all of this. What would the Lord have us do? How do we best accomplish what He is calling us to do? These are the questions that the staff and leadership of St. John’s are wrestling with, and I will tell you that none of this is easy. In fact, it’s extremely challenging. There is no script on how to do any of this because none of us has done this before! But we press on, trusting that the God who made the heavens and the earth, who gave his only-begotten Son to be our Savior, who loves us with an everlasting love, has not abandoned or forsaken us. He will provide strength and blessing for the way ahead.

On my own, I don’t have the wherewithal to navigate these uncertain steps, but I draw strength and blessing from the Lord as I spend time with him on my back porch. I encourage you to do the same.