A simple hobbit sets out on an almost suicidal journey, yet for half a year his thoughts keep returning to one place, his Shire. That longing opens a reflection on Psalm 122, the song of a pilgrim who finally stands in the gates of Jerusalem and discovers that the beauty of the place comes not only from its walls but from the people who came there freely. The sermon asks why each of us carries a longing for home, and what can satisfy it today, now that the temple in Jerusalem is gone. Listen and consider where the place is in which you feel at home.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In Psalm 122 the psalmist describes the joy of a pilgrim standing in the gates of Jerusalem. According to the psalm, what made this place special: the city itself or the people who came to it?
- What did "the thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David" and the call to pray for the peace of Jerusalem mean to the first hearers, given that peace meant much more than the absence of war?
- The sermon opens with Sam's longing for the Shire. What does feeling "at home" look like for you, and where do you think this longing in us comes from?
- In Jerusalem people from different tribes met, people who were strangers to each other in everyday life. What helps you feel connected to people in church who are very different from you?
- The speaker said that because of Jesus the temple today is not a building but people who love God. How does that change the way you see the community you belong to?
- The psalmist wants to seek the good of the house of the Lord for the sake of his brothers and friends. How can you pray for peace in your community this week, or help someone new feel at home there?
