{"id":34123,"date":"2025-11-19T08:12:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T13:12:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=34123"},"modified":"2025-11-19T08:12:35","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T13:12:35","slug":"worship-wednesday-homecoming-bethel-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=34123","title":{"rendered":"Worship Wednesday – Homecoming – Bethel Music"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Photo Credit: Heartlight<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally he came to his senses and said, \u2018How many of my father\u2019s hired servants have plenty of food? But here I am, starving to death!<\/em>‘ \u2014 Luke 15:17<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, \u2018Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.\u2019\u00a0<\/sup>But the father said to his servants, \u2018Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. \u00a0<\/sup>And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. \u00a0<\/sup>For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.\u2019 And they began to celebrate.<\/em> – Luke 15:20-24<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”<\/em> – Revelation 7:9-10<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coming home. Whatever our situation might be, hopefully that phrase has a comforting ring. In my youth and early adulthood, “coming home” felt very much like the prodigal son’s experience in the Scripture above. My parents were always welcoming and delighted in my arrival. I knew unconditional love from them which helped me understand how much the Lord loves us. Some of us don’t have that experience with our earthly parents. So painful and wrong. Generations of families where performance was demanded to receive love. Not at all what we experience in God’s Kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we near the holidays in America, our sense of home is stirred up – in positive and sometimes negative ways. I’ve written about the sweetness of Thanksgivings past<\/a>. They weren’t perfect given our own imperfections, but they gave a glimpse of the One Day when our homecoming will be something altogether other-worldly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first time I heard Bethel Music<\/a>‘s song “Homecoming”<\/a><\/em> was this past Sunday during worship at Movement Church<\/a>. Unlike the video below with a huge worship band and a packed house, we were led by a 5-member praise team who still brought the house down in my heart. Not in any kind of performative sense, but in the lyrics and beauty of melody and harmony – telling the story of our welcome Home to Heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n