hospitality

I love my (new) church! It's been years since I've felt at home, but now I do. This isn't to say that this church is easy, but that the Spirit is at work... and I'm experiencing it!

I have come to the realization that I need liturgy to worship. People complain that it becomes mere ritual, but for me the familiar words set apart the time and space as something holy. The words and the movements provide a spiritual muscle memory of transformation and openness. Saying the collect for purity: "Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden, cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,… that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen." helps prepare my heart. It helps me enter true reality beyond the news and my job-- the beyond aspect to my everyday life. It isn't that this "beyond" in any way decreases the reality of every day, but it's an additional dimension that's impossibly easy for me to dismiss a lot of the time.

The church celebrates Eucharist every Sunday, and I need that too. A reminder that my communion with God is guaranteed by something far more sure than my sputtering, half-hearted good works and of my new identity in Christ-- my sin no longer defines me. Furthermore, I love to watch the procession of people as they head towards the bread and wine-- the equality of the young and old, rich and poor before the cross. But most of all, I appreciate that it's not a weekly funeral for Jesus, but a reminder of what love is and who our God is. Love has nothing to do with Hallmark's sentimentality, and our God is far more wild and beautiful and humble than a heavenly Santa Claus.

The preaching causes me to think and to reorient and to pray. Randy's sermons keep on going well into the week; I have to process them. Here is quite possibly my favorite:Hospitality Toward God. It's the ninth one in the Abraham series and was given December 19th; sorry, I couldn't get the link more precise. It's brilliant and multi-faceted. It's simple yet dramatic in how it builds momentum. And it helps that my book club had just discussed a book on hospitality, and I have to say Randy's sermon had far more impact on me. If you don't have time to listen to the whole thing-- skip to the last part.