« November 2013 | Main | January 2014 »
death and life,
life and death
gather here,
we live in a
fragile world
as fragile, vulnerable
beings, we want
to be strong but
we are weak,
we want to have
answers, but offer none,
for we have none,
and into the void he comes,
into our doubts,
our fears,
our questions,
into the void of
our emptiness
life breaks in...
he is with us,
we are not alone...
Today has been busy, this mornings service contained a Baptism as well as Communion and began with a special candle lighting liturgy for Advent, as such it was packed out with symbols, bread, and wine, water and light, it could have been very busy, but thankfully it did't seem rushed or crammed and God was with us. The little boy being brought for Baptism was 9 months old, he was very happy all the way through and not at all worried about having water tipped over his head. I love the life giving words of our Baptism Service, especially those spoken directly to the child "For you Jesus came.... all this for you before you could know anything of it!" I love that reminder that there is nothing we do to "earn or solicit" Gods love, and that as we are reminded in another part of the service, "we love because he first loved us". All of the initiative is his! As I spoke these wonderful words to Mackenzie this morning he watched me intently, when I got to the end he beamed and blew a raspberry. It made everyone smile, and it was a holy moment, a moment in which we were reminded of Jesus instruction to us that we should come as little children, not childishly but with open hearts, able to receive his love...
As for the communion, I truly believe the elements and the liturgy open the door to holy encounter for us, the mystery that bread and wine could be for us a touching place with God is unfathomable, no matter how many questions we answer the mystery is still there. We have an open table in the Methodist Church and all are welcome to come and to receive, one young man from the Baptism party did just that, he spoke to me afterwards about sensing that he was touched by God, that something had happened to him in that service that changed him. In as many words he almost quoted Wesley saying "it warmed my heart", it warmed my heart to hear him say so.
I left the church with a full heart, and went on to visit an elderly member with one of our stewards, the gentleman is dying, he knows it and so do we, it was a hard but beautiful encounter, he is ready to go, in fact he wants to go, he is in pain and is exhausted, and yet in a beautiful way God was there with us in gentleness and peace.
I believe that life is full of holy encounters and touching places if we dare to see them, not only in the sacraments of bread wine and water but in holding a hand, in a kiss on the forehead, in an unexpected gift, and in a raspberry blown by a small child reminding us to be open and childlike, maybe then we will see more...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recent Comments