This week I had the pleasure of joining with a House Church group in Melbourne that gather in Mentone on a fortnightly basis.
In the comfort of Roger McLaughlin's home, surrounded by original artworks, books, artefacts from world travels, family photos and handcrafted woodwork, five familiar friends and fellow disciples gathered around the table, lit candles, and commenced their spiritual practice.
Without the pressure of the pulpit, we shared the sacred text, reading together Luke 24:13-35, the story of the Road to Emmaus. This vivid story recalls a small group of friends, breaking bread together, suddenly recognising the Christ amongst them, the divine at their table. We shared our own witness, moments where Spirit has broken through in our lives, the different ways in which Christ animates and engages our daily lives.
Home gatherings are as old as the Christian tradition. Transforming the domestic space, to something sacred, transcendent. Through intentional hospitality we experience love, emotional and spiritual intimacy, testimony, silence, music, scripture, prayer, and shared ritual.
In this context, the sacrament of Communion felt very personal and deliberate. I am deeply thankful for this tradition that allows us to connect so deeply through the sacraments. I continue to be encouraged to hold space for ritual, to make time for sacred community, and to relish intergenerational experiences.
I am particularly grateful for the senior members of this group, who not only encourage the younger ones, but paint a vivid picture of spiritual richness at every age. Living the rewards of curiosity, lifelong learning, prayer, and openness to the stories of others, and recognition of the spirit's continuing presence in their lives.
As I left, refreshed, I was reminded of a fragment of Doctrine & Covenants 161:3c 'believing in the power of just a few vibrant witnesses to transform the world'. What a wonderful gift it is to participate in the transformation of one another, the offering of peer to peer ministry one disciple to another. Authentic, meaningful, personal. Yes, that is a worthwhile endeavour indeed.
Annie Falcke
