I went to a funeral yesterday.

photo: picture: S.Shull @ flickr

I went to a funeral yesterday.

When I tell people that they sometimes get sad for me or wonder how that could have any deep joy for me, spending my time that way.

Going to church is easy and it smells good and it sounds purdy and it's a nice contemplative break from a busy noisy world.

Following The Way as Jesus laid out, however, means showing up; being an active participant in a congregation; being present and prayerful in the lives of others; that's the chore, that's the task, and it's the hardest part: living in community.

When one of my dearest heart's marriage ended, she was reluctant to return to the altar because she felt like she had made promises on that altar she found she couldn't keep. Wuhl, sometimes that happens, and isn't that why we're always repeating our vows? pledging to help one another live those vows?

Thing is, you gotta walk that aisle and you gotta show up at that altar and you gotta lay down your broken life on that altar day after day in order to be healed and restored, refreshed and renewed. We're gonna help one another get up that aisle week after week and hopefully, one long healthy day away from now, someone is going to love us enough to help us take that last important walk and place us lovingly in our final resting space, and continue our memory by telling tales of our love and participation among the other Travellers in that parish, forever.

So ... yeah ... I went to a funeral yesterday ... and I'm'a go and walk up that aisle today ... I will, with God's help. Join me, won't you?

Advent 1 2015 04 Thursday

it is SUCH a THURSday, right? such an inbetween! i can see the weekend, but can't taste it, and then the general sadness of the madnesses about and then some of our personal sadnesses of loved ones passing. I keep thinking of my girlfriend Elizabeth's Grandmother who makes this special cake with me every Lent. There's a point where

<...after every ingredient had been added and stirred, and before she poured the batter into the muffin tins or cake pans, she would gather us round the Very Large Mixing Bowl and then, she would tell us not to worry. That Lent was a very sad time, but that soon, it would be Easter. Jesus would play a wonderful trick on Satan, and death would not kill him. And, because death could no longer kill Jesus, death could no longer kill us. Because of Jesus, we would know eternal life in heaven where we would all someday be, once again. She would tell us this and then say, "So, laugh, children. Laugh into the bowl. Laugh into the cake. Laugh at the Devil. He can't win. He can't ever win! Only Jesus can win. Only Jesus! Laugh! Laugh! Laugh!" And, we would. Laugh. Loud. Right into the bowl. I swear people ten blocks away could hear us laugh. It was the best part of making - and eating - that cake...>

 and I think that's what's gonna get me through today.
(Elizabeth's blog here: http://telling-secrets.blogspot.com/)