Monday, September 7, 2009

Dearest God,

I looked around the dimly lighted sanctuary. Several people were kneeling as those who came in spoke in hushed tones. One woman and one man held their heads in their cupped hands. One woman stared straight ahead as if mesmerized by the stained glass window. A young man looked up as if gazing upon heaven. When the sanctuary was nearly full, the lights were turned up. The organ began to sound. That's one of the things I like about the Catholic Church. People kneeling, people praying in a quiet environment even before worship commences. Prayers have already been prayed before the priest enters. The church alive.

There are so many reasons to participate in church. Relationships, first with God. Prayers offered for the world and for one's self. Giving, making an offering for ministry in your name but also the act of giving away something of your own for something greater. Singing songs of faith written by persons whose experience of life and faith speak of the divine. Peace, providing signs of your peace to one another and receiving them for yourself. Smiles across the room and next to you. Just some of the reasons.

Your spirit is alive in your house. We are not perfect saints, only imperfect sinners, but we are moving in our desire to be loved by you and to love you and our neighbor. We come for instruction but more than that we want to confirm our faith once again, to make sure you are real and if real, we want to believe more and make our faith grow to reckon with issues in our lives and in our world. We want to contribute something to someone else. Our being, giving our whole self in worship can be, is an example, an act of faith, a gesture of our devotion.

I loved church today.

A heart
that loves you
is a heart
full of you.
When full
in worship,
more fullness
means there
is more
to give away
to others.
Your church
is a sign
of your
living presence
to a
hungry world.
Thank you.

Love, Andrea