Thoughts I Had at Church

I don't know about you, but when I am near nature and am also in a setting where I am worshipping God I feel closer to Him. The service we attend at our church is held in the chapel. It is a contmeporary service that values creativity, casual dress, the liturgy, community, and a more spirit-led music time. The alter/stage looks out into a garden with a large cross in the middle of it. You can see a picture of it here at the end of the virtual tour of our church. It is a beautiful room to worship in.


I love it when Spring comes because the garden starts to grow more greenery and flowers start budding. The garden has been a symbol of the seasons of my own spiritual life. Sometimes I am feeling dry and lifeless in my relationship with God and looking into the garden during the winter feels comforting to me. Seeing all the budding growth in the spring gives me hope.


This spring around the same time every Sunday a little pair of robins comes to frolick in the garden, often stopping to rest on the cross. Today a pair of doves joined in on the fun and one of the doves sat on the cross and appeared to be listening to today's sermon (through the glass of course). I was quite amused. Yes, I was listening to the sermon too. It was about taking notice of others around you and responding to how God might want you to serve them.


We always sit in the front row at church so we are the first to take communion. Not only do I not have to worry (even though I know I shouldn't) about how many people took the cup before me but I also get to people watch when it is time to come back to my seat. (That isn't WHY we sit on the first row. We sit there because people often don't like sitting on the first row and we like getting good seats and helping our priests feel supported.) I am often struck by the space boundaries people have when it comes to communion. Some people like to leave a whole person gap between themselves as they come to the alter to kneel. Most people don't feel comfortable approaching the alter to kneel and find their spot unless there is a 2 or 3 person space. It is an interesting phenomenon to watch. It is interesting that folks don't mind drinking from the same cup right after the person that is next to them has just drank from (which in my mind is a very intimate thing to do), but they do want to make sure that there is a 12" space between them and the person next to them. It is one of those things that makes me go hmmmm....


Something really cool happened today! Isaac went to his potty in the kitchen, lifted up the lid and said, "I need to go peepee." Great! It was after breakfast so I asked him if he was going to pee or poo. I am going to go poopoo. And he did! Then he said, "Can I get a treat?" You betcha! He was so proud as was I.