"The Artemis II House Church"

Imagine being in outer space 252,000 miles from the earth. No rush, no noise, no distractions. Where you have the privilege of experiencing a life-altering perspective. Interestingly, upon their return from outer space, the Artemis II crew didn't talk very much about their world class training, technical expertise or the historic aspect of their mission. Instead, the awe that emerged from their hearts was something much more basic to human nature and significant to our well being. One of the astronauts, Jeremy Hansen, shared about three things:

Gratitude.

Joy.

Love.

Given the remarkable opportunity to view life from that vantage point, what really matters in life had become unmistakably clear. Accomplishment took a back seat. And so a question emerges for the rest of us: "Does it take leaving the earth or some other extraordinary event for us to experience awe, or is it possible for awe to be experienced in the course of everyday life?" I imagine that in theory we know that awe can be experienced in the ordinary. However, in practice, it seems that for most of us, awe remains elusive and uncommon.

It was apparent to me as I reflected on the welcome back reception of the Artemis II crew that we are designed to experience awe! However, the awe expressed by the Artemis II crew is not to be relegated to the extraordinary; we are designed to experience it in our everyday lives. Even though many of us may have lost touch with "everyday awe", there is still hope that we can experience "awe" in every day events. This can occur as we experience:

Being known.

Being truly seen.

Being understood.

Astronaut Christina Koch talked of the importance of being part of a crew. As each crew member shared their experience, the depth of their relationships and the appreciation they shared for one another was demonstrated by many group hugs. This was much more than a group of exceptional individuals, this was a group who had depended on each other to accomplish something important. They knew that they could not have succeeded alone, that each part was necessary. They relied on each other, looked out for one another, and became connected through their journey. They were a crew, not just co-workers. By living and working together in such close community, they had come to realize and share the deeper things: gratitude, struggle, joy and purpose. Isn't it sad and ironic that our society has more means of connection via email, social media, etc. etc. than ever before but that loneliness is considered a pervasive public health crisis? The Artemis II crew experienced something even more wonderful than being in outer space - they experienced the awe of connection.

So, what is a simple, everyday setting where each of us can experience awe? Where can we be known, truly seen, understood and valued? Where can we use our gifts to serve each other and contribute to accomplishing something of vital importance? God's answer to this is the church! Not a large, impersonal "place" where you remain anonymous but the small, relational, and intimate family described in the bible. Perhaps, unbeknownst to the Artemis II crew, they were practicing the most important and basic form of church that God intended - being in awe of God, his creation and each other. And it only took four of them! It's not easy to consistently express sincere gratitude for each other, to be genuinely glad to be together, to give our focused attention to each other and learn to use our gifts to serve each other. In fact, it is so hard that most give up and settle for less fullfilling relationships and infrequent use of their God-given gifts. However, relational church is what we were made for and when it happens, something special happens in the universe. This prompted Paul's lofty description of the church as "the manifold wisdom of God being made known to rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms."

Awe is closer than we think. You don't have to be in space, on a mountaintop or on vacation in a beautiful country. Awe can occur during a conversation in your living room where you feel seen, when a small group works together as a crew, when you realize that you belong, or when you feel someone enters your world and connects with you. These things are not a means to an end, they are the end. This is what we were created for.

The takeaway from the Artemis II crew isn't that we need to go to space or do something else extraordinary to experience awe but that we need to come back to something right before us and much more common. Maybe its time to receive God's invitation to come back.

Back to what has always mattered.

Back to connection.

Back to a way of life where love leads.

Not as rare moments...but as a way of life.