Welcome Home

Discussion Questions 

1. Read Psalm 133. Then read the devotional, “Welcome Home.” 

2. Can you remember a time when you were greeted with exuberant joy? What was it that made you feel welcomed and celebrated? 

3. What welcome might you extend to others in this season of your life, and who might need this welcome? 

4. Is there a creature whose welcome makes you feel at home in the world? What else might this creature be offering to teach you? 

How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! – Psalm 133:1 (NRSV) 

Imagine, if you will, that your neighbors are having a big family party. Every time their front door opens, you hear a chorus of joyful greetings: Hello! You’re here! So great to see you! 

Now imagine that you’re walking through an oak woodland, and you hear the same kind of ecstatic greeting. Only here, the shouts of joy are coming from high above your head, and they sound something like, Waka-waka-waka!! If you look up quickly, you’ll witness the event that has occasioned this loud celebration: an acorn woodpecker has just returned from a foraging expedition, causing family and friends to flap their wings and shout for joy.  

I’ve spent many happy hours beneath the oaks, observing the clownish antics of Melanerpes formicivorus, and I am here to tell you that this wild greeting takes place all day long, every single time a bird returns to the communal tree. Apparently, the joy of welcoming someone home never gets old.  

And what a home it is! Acorn woodpeckers live in social groups of a dozen or more birds, storing acorns in their shared granaries: dead trees pocked with thousands of acorn-shaped holes, many of which were drilled by past generations of birds. Communal groups also have an unusual mating arrangement in which multiple males and females breed together, raise chicks in one big cohort, and share resources cooperatively. Even non-breeding siblings sometimes stick around for years, helping to forage for food, manage the shared acorn stash, and care for younger birds.  

How good it is, indeed, for kindred to live together. Hallelujah! Waka-waka! Welcome home!

Prayer
God of earth and oak, of flapping wings and raucous song, help us to learn from our wise neighbors. May they teach us how to live in harmony, sharing the gifts of your abundant love.

About the Author
Rev. Yael Lachman is a UCC minister and artist who leads contemplative retreats, art adventures, and worship for all ages, most often in wild places. You can find Yael here.