First Notes: Keep Coming Back
Dear First Baptist Family,
For a season I attended a weekly A-Anon meeting, which is a group for people who have some experience with alcoholism in their family. A typical meeting involves the serenity prayer, readings, an opportunity for sharing, and welcoming newcomers.
One of the principles expressed at the conclusion of each meeting is “Keep Coming Back.” At first, I thought this slogan only referred to the pattern of coming back to meetings.
But I came to believe that the phrase holds a deeper meaning.
Because the experience of healing takes time, those who attend are encouraged again and again to shift their focus away from trying to “fix” other people and instead focus on their own behavior, boundaries, and recovery.
To prevent regression, lasting serenity requires coming back again and again — weekly to the group, but also to truthful thinking in a safe community.
This principle applies to all of life. Those who want to experience peace need to return again and again to the home base of their principles and purpose — if not daily, at least every once in a while. Serenity develops through a consistent return to one’s body, emotional well-being, and spiritual core.
When you keep coming back to yourself — your identity, your values, what you love to do, what you know in your gut — you’ll be able to let go of old patterns of overthinking, the need to please others, and self-criticism.
How can you practically keep coming back?
For Christians, prayer and scripture reading are essential, daily practices. You can’t neglect your relationship with God and expect to experience increasing levels of peace.
Coming back to yourself to and God also can be re-discovered through poetry, time with friends, walking in nature, some artistic expression, reading something that fills you with inner peace, and so on.
For my part, the foundation of a daily practice in God’s presence allows me to experience God in the other ways listed above.
The point is that everyone needs a regular sanctuary of the soul where you can rest, reflect, and return to God. “Return to me,” God says, “and I will return to you” (Zechariah 3:7, NIV).
Along those lines, this Sunday in worship we will explore a Biblical principle from Hebrews 10:25: the call to not neglect meeting with other believers for encouragement, learning, worship, and prayer.
Friends, keep coming back. We really are better together.
With love,
Pastor Brent McDougal
P.S. Join us this Wednesday for our quarterly business meeting to learn more about what’s happening with our church. I’ll give an update on the status of our discussions with the YMCA about launching a weekday education center. We’ll also talk about our mission efforts and church finances, with ample time for you to ask questions. I will take the remainder of the time to give a recap of my sabbatical travels and learnings. Dinners is at 5pm and the business meeting will begin about 5:50.
For a season I attended a weekly A-Anon meeting, which is a group for people who have some experience with alcoholism in their family. A typical meeting involves the serenity prayer, readings, an opportunity for sharing, and welcoming newcomers.
One of the principles expressed at the conclusion of each meeting is “Keep Coming Back.” At first, I thought this slogan only referred to the pattern of coming back to meetings.
But I came to believe that the phrase holds a deeper meaning.
Because the experience of healing takes time, those who attend are encouraged again and again to shift their focus away from trying to “fix” other people and instead focus on their own behavior, boundaries, and recovery.
To prevent regression, lasting serenity requires coming back again and again — weekly to the group, but also to truthful thinking in a safe community.
This principle applies to all of life. Those who want to experience peace need to return again and again to the home base of their principles and purpose — if not daily, at least every once in a while. Serenity develops through a consistent return to one’s body, emotional well-being, and spiritual core.
When you keep coming back to yourself — your identity, your values, what you love to do, what you know in your gut — you’ll be able to let go of old patterns of overthinking, the need to please others, and self-criticism.
How can you practically keep coming back?
For Christians, prayer and scripture reading are essential, daily practices. You can’t neglect your relationship with God and expect to experience increasing levels of peace.
Coming back to yourself to and God also can be re-discovered through poetry, time with friends, walking in nature, some artistic expression, reading something that fills you with inner peace, and so on.
For my part, the foundation of a daily practice in God’s presence allows me to experience God in the other ways listed above.
The point is that everyone needs a regular sanctuary of the soul where you can rest, reflect, and return to God. “Return to me,” God says, “and I will return to you” (Zechariah 3:7, NIV).
Along those lines, this Sunday in worship we will explore a Biblical principle from Hebrews 10:25: the call to not neglect meeting with other believers for encouragement, learning, worship, and prayer.
Friends, keep coming back. We really are better together.
With love,
Pastor Brent McDougal
P.S. Join us this Wednesday for our quarterly business meeting to learn more about what’s happening with our church. I’ll give an update on the status of our discussions with the YMCA about launching a weekday education center. We’ll also talk about our mission efforts and church finances, with ample time for you to ask questions. I will take the remainder of the time to give a recap of my sabbatical travels and learnings. Dinners is at 5pm and the business meeting will begin about 5:50.
Recent
Archive
2026
January
February
March
April
May
2025
August
September
October
November
Categories
no categories
No Comments