The Power of Place

The Power of Place, by Daniel Grothe, is a book I wish had been around 50 years ago. Perhaps it could have reduced some of the unnecessary mobility of our culture. Here are just a few quotes:

“Published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the findings suggest that ‘moving is associated with lower levels of overall wellbeing, higher stress levels, and fewer positive social relationships. Frequent moves have a particularly detrimental effect for adolescents, who’ve been shown to have lower test scores and graduation rates, fewer friends, and higher drug and alcohol use’… APA researchers discovered that ‘frequent relocations in childhood are related to poorer well-being in adulthood,’ because the participants in the study were found to have ‘fewer quality social relationships as adults’” (ch. 2).

“‘Stay put,’ Benedict said. But sadly, too many have read this as a prohibition—‘Thou shalt not leave!’—when they should have read it as a protection… There is a sort of calculus at play here that only makes sense in the kingdom of God: those who are willing to lose the freedom of a thousand different options will find they have everything they need right in front of them” (ch. 2).

“Maybe one of the least glamorous things you can do with your life is to stay in the same place with the same group of people—friends, a spouse, a handful of extended family, a local church community—for a really long time until you die. And while it is unglamorous, it may well be the most powerful this you can do” (ch. 5).

“Worship, which was always a communal act in ancient Israel’s history, has now been privatized and commoditized. We have our podcasts and YouTube channels. We have our favorite internet pastors… Indeed, we have discovered we can get our sermons and songs without having to trifle with other saints and sinners… But we must be careful not to let our technology outpace our theology. There is a sad irony: God who in Jesus became incarnate now has a people being tempted to live lives of disincarnation” (ch. 11).

As one who experienced a lot of uprooting as a child—7 changes of schools in 9 years—I can testify that it was not only not ideal, but even traumatic. Although there were some things I liked about each place we lived, I always longed for stability of place and of friendships. That contributed significantly to the fact that I have now been in the same house, same church, and same employer (though different roles) for the past 28 years.  There is much to be said for having a consistent community of support for the long haul. There have been times of conflict in community, but relationships are strengthened when people learn to work out their differences.

Loving one another is not meant to be limited to the nuclear family, nor to a short-term acquaintance. We are made to be in relationship for the long term—indeed, for eternity within the Body of Christ. I think some people imagine eternity as sitting alone with Jesus watching the sunset. I’ve only recently come to realize that one of the best things we’ll get to experience is being fully known and fully loved, not only by God but by one another (1 Cor. 13:12). After an earthly lifetime of relational disruptions, disconnections, and discontentment, it will be wonderful to simply enjoy being together without distrust or fear of loss. Imagine the depth of relationships available where there are no time constraints!

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Gal. 5:13-14).

© 2025 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV. Cover image courtesy of Amazon.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Rooted

The world says fly, be free,

  throw off all constraints.

    There are no rules, no laws,

      do what you please.

But when trouble comes

  we want roots, connections,

    something to keep us grounded

      to hold us together.

We can’t have both, or can we?

  Trees don’t fly, birds don’t

    grow flowers, but the

      Heavenly Father cares for both.

Rooted in His love we can

  soar to new heights.

    Under His wings we find

      shelter in the storm

Connected to His Body there is

  belonging, the community

    of the diverse, where each

      can be uniquely whole.

It is not conformity

  that binds us together,

    not law that controls

      or constrains us.

It is the grace and mercy

  of the One who loved us and

    thus made us lovable

      and taught us to love.

Rooted in Him we are

  eternally secure, able

    to fly where He leads

      just as He planned all along.

Psalm 1:3:

“He is like a tree

planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.”

(Sparked by Malcolm Guite’s article in Christianity Today “Something Holy Shines”)

© 2025 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Belonging

Recently I was listening to a podcast from a Christian source talking about LGBTQ labels and identities. Although I disagreed with some of what was said, it did make me think more broadly about the desire of every human being to find a sense of belonging. We all want to feel that we are loved, accepted, and appreciated, but sometimes we look in the wrong places for that community. Our children and youth are subjected to an increasing number of identity “options,” as well as peer pressure to declare their chosen labels (although some change frequently!). Things were a bit simpler back in my school days when there were just a few cliques based on activities and not usually based on personalities, preferences, and attractions. We all knew that once we graduated most of those groups would disappear.

As Christians, we should be the people who are most comfortable with our identities and community—after all, we belong to the God who created the universe, who made us in His image and adopted us into His eternal family through faith in Jesus Christ. Our core identity as children of God doesn’t change. “You also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to Him who has been raised from the death, in order that we may bear fruit for God” (Rom. 7:4).

In practice, however, many Christians still struggle with feelings of alienation, shame, and rejection. Churches tend to adopt certain standards of what a good Christian or a godly man or woman should look like, and whether we realize it or not, often those standards are based more on conservative culture than on biblical definitions. Some of us may feel like we don’t quite fit in if we look a little different, have different interests, or struggle with certain temptations that are deemed taboo to even talk about. We’re all sinners covered by the mercy and grace of God.

It’s often been said that Sunday morning is the most segregated time of the week. This isn’t just true of race, but of other characteristics as well. Some folks church-hop until they find one where everyone is just like them. Some churches segregate the ages into different groups. Churches separate themselves theologically based doctrinal distinctives. There’s a cowboy church down the road. You name it, there’s probably a church for it.

And yet every true believer is part of the same family, united under the headship of Christ and supposedly pursuing the same mission. What would it take for us to focus more on what we have in common in Christ than on the traits that separate us from other believers? How might we remind one another that we do belong together, even though we are each unique in many ways? I don’t have the answers, but I know that we adults need assurance that we are loved and accepted just as much as our kids do.

“In every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him” (Acts 10:35). “I… urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called… eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1-2).

© 2023 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.