Sunday, October 1, 2006

Dear God,

Connections are chords leading to the Divine. Like a guitar with strings of harmony the spiritual life is experienced by connecting to those whose center is God. A coming together, a union that leads to God erupts into mystical joy.

Our church was one today. The Hispanic family, a new congregation of Hispanics from Argentina, Peru, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Salvadore and probably other South American countries joined us in the worship of the Almighty. Through a miracle event they will live with us at Bethel. Their prayers will rise up to heaven as they worship in our sanctuary.

A worship service in Spanish and English hit a concordant note in my soul. Heaven must be like this. Differing peoples together making up the body of Christ. We are beautiful together.

And when we shared the Holy Supper, God was powerfully present. The Spanish interpreter told me after the service that the tearing of the bread was spiritually moving for her. She envisioned Christ being torn apart and given to hungry people. One elderly man broke the silence as he ate the bread and drank the wine. "Now, there's something worth eating!" He told me. You are right, I thought, you are so right.

Something will happen to us at Bethel. Our openness to God will lead us down new paths. We could never have imagined that in a two week period two different congregations would call to use our building for the worship of the Living God. Our prayers for diversity have been heard and God has begun the steady stream of those who will join our fellowship. New joy will explode as we carefully follow God's guidance.

I called the Hispanic child whom I had met just a few days ago Amiga, friend. I told the pastor, "Mi casa es su casa." My house is your house. His countenance revealed his gratitude and his voice whispered to the glory of God.

And five people joined us for our new member class. When they unite with our congregation we will have received 31 new members thus far this year. Another one has already been through the class just waiting for her parents to come for a visit from New York so they can celebrate in her decision. Last year we took in just five or six I think.

There is a coming together activity in our church. I can't explain it except to say God is leading it. And it is an awesome time. Our faithfulness has been the key to turn events. Although we waded through a season of pain and sorrow, we have endured and been transformed by God, refined by fire.

I know God has a destiny for our church and for each one of us. Our attentiveness to matters of the Spirit will reveal God's way. And this sacred partnership will sing heavenly tunes. God is surely with us and we have found our way finally, to God.

Broken connections
lead us to dead ends.
Sacred links draw us ever higher
to the realm of God.
We are human.
We must never forget it.
We are not God
and we never shall be.
We are simply
the handmaids of God.
Now I realize more fully
Mary's words to the angel
when she said,
"I am the handmaid of the Lord.
Let it be unto me as you have said."
Trust, an unshakeable trust,
in the God of the cosmos.
The angel cry
is being heard at Bethel.
Glory be to God
in the highest heaven!

Love always, Andrea