Wednesday, February 25, 2009

so. it's Lent

we had a lovely service tonight.
with candles. with flash paper. with chants. and remembering our baptisms. and even, a potluck supper.

I do love lent. the drawing in. the emphasis on intention. the invitation to conscious journey.

Tonight I was reminded, by someone who is fairly new to our community how foreign church can be, and yet people are still willing to come because they know they will find something like God In Community there--in spite of being in recovery from abusive or spiritually absent religious community experience in the past.

"uhh, what is a hymn again? I just was saying I had a mystical experience when the choir was singing. wasn't that the hymn?"

Looking at me, said, "I am so new at this. Isn't that the hymn? When the choir sings by itself? " Looking at the music minister, who was trying to figure out what anthem was so touching, said, "don't worry, you aren't responsible for what makes me and God click"

leaves me speechless.

4 comments:

Processing Counselor said...

Flash paper?

Terri said...

Awesome...just simply awesome

Anonymous said...

i love it! "...you're not responsible for what makes me and God click" awesome!

Peceli and Wendy's Blog said...

The power of music. Last night Peceli was asked (after we arrived at a function for 300 Fijians) to open the evening with a devotional. He firstly acknowledged the Aboriginal people of this land, then quietly, clearly, led a meditation on the word 'bula' meaning 'life'. He asked the people to sing a hymn and everyone joined in in four voice parts, a quiet hymn and so beautiful. The occasion was to meet the former Fiji Prime Minister (deposed in a coup) who was visiting Australia for three weeks. What an emotional time it was, but a love of God undergirded our anxiety for the people of Fiji under a military dictatorship.
w.