Attention Please!
Yesterday we celebrated communion. That, in and of itself, is not all that remarkable - we celebrate communion every Sunday here, though we only have it during the full worship service on the first Sundays of the month (in the contemporary services). Otherwise we celebrate an abbreviated communion service in the chapel after the services.
Yesterday was World Communion Sunday. Again, not all that remarkable, really. We didn't use much different in the way of liturgy...
In the chaos that was my Sunday morning, however, I forgot to get people to help me serve communion. Fortunately, we have some really great people here - who think more clearly on a Sunday morning that I do - and three people were pointed out to me to help - Rose, Dave, and Brenda (THANKS DENISE!).
I "briefed" them on what to do - I mean, it's pretty normal and rote for me to a degree. And that's a problem, I think.
After the service, I thanked them for helping with communion and Brenda said to me, "No, thank YOU. It was an honor. It was so powerful for me."
I was talking with a friend of mine a while ago about how sometimes it seems like God is so distant - like the fire has become just a tiny, flickering flame. And I wonder if it isn't that we've become TOO close - no, that's not right. If maybe we've become too familiar with God. That this sacred and powerful relationship that we're in has just become me and my buddy...
And that may be the case. But familiarity is not all that bad. I officiated at the wedding of my friends John and Linn this weekend. I always talk to couples about living in love - you know, when the butterflies and giddiness goes away (oh, yeah, it comes back at times, but you know what I mean) and that deeper sense of love and passion continues. And can it be like that with God? I mean, can we be so deeply in love with God that it's comfortable and safe and quiet?
I don't know. What I DO know is that Brenda's comment about communion yesterday morning made my experience of communion deeper and richer yesterday evening. And I know the difference:
I paid attention.
And, when you come down to it, maybe that's the difference in all our relationships. Paying attention to the moments - to the sacredness of the moments in the relationship and that's GOT to be true in my relationship with God. Too familiar? I don't know, but I'm watching now...I'm paying attention...
Yesterday was World Communion Sunday. Again, not all that remarkable, really. We didn't use much different in the way of liturgy...
In the chaos that was my Sunday morning, however, I forgot to get people to help me serve communion. Fortunately, we have some really great people here - who think more clearly on a Sunday morning that I do - and three people were pointed out to me to help - Rose, Dave, and Brenda (THANKS DENISE!).
I "briefed" them on what to do - I mean, it's pretty normal and rote for me to a degree. And that's a problem, I think.
After the service, I thanked them for helping with communion and Brenda said to me, "No, thank YOU. It was an honor. It was so powerful for me."
I was talking with a friend of mine a while ago about how sometimes it seems like God is so distant - like the fire has become just a tiny, flickering flame. And I wonder if it isn't that we've become TOO close - no, that's not right. If maybe we've become too familiar with God. That this sacred and powerful relationship that we're in has just become me and my buddy...
And that may be the case. But familiarity is not all that bad. I officiated at the wedding of my friends John and Linn this weekend. I always talk to couples about living in love - you know, when the butterflies and giddiness goes away (oh, yeah, it comes back at times, but you know what I mean) and that deeper sense of love and passion continues. And can it be like that with God? I mean, can we be so deeply in love with God that it's comfortable and safe and quiet?
I don't know. What I DO know is that Brenda's comment about communion yesterday morning made my experience of communion deeper and richer yesterday evening. And I know the difference:
I paid attention.
And, when you come down to it, maybe that's the difference in all our relationships. Paying attention to the moments - to the sacredness of the moments in the relationship and that's GOT to be true in my relationship with God. Too familiar? I don't know, but I'm watching now...I'm paying attention...
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