The Swandive

it begins and ends and begins

Its here. The Easter Triduum. The RevGals have had some amazing posts over the last two days. B and I have done noonday prayers (from the New Zealand Book of Common Prayer - so awesome - every day this week in the newly crafted chapel that we (me and B) fashioned out of love, desire and sheer will to have a Holy Space at work. Its cool - a real groovy spot for God time in the middle of a work day. Anyway - I digress.

For some reason or another, its been a little nut-cakes lately - you know? Like the world is spinning and spinning, and I can't catch my breath. Because working for the Lord does have its short and long term advantages, I'll be off of work Good Friday through Easter Monday. A 5-day break. Needed. So on that RevGals post, Revabi posts a jarring thought that every time I have recalled it during my day today, I've gotten just a little chokey. No full blown tears, but... she says

Have you let Jesus wash your feet? If not will you? Try taking some time away to think of your love of Jesus, Jesus love for you, and your love for others. Try not to be the sacrificial lamb this season, instead remember who is the sacrificial lamb.

Then I hear Mindy on my Pandora, singing

Oh, my baby, when you're cryin'
Never hide your face from me
I've conquered hell and driven out the demons
I have come with a life to set you free

...

Worry not my daughters,
Worry not my sons
Child, when life don't seem worth livin'
Come to Jesus and let Him hold you in His arms

No, I have not let Jesus wash my feet. Not in a long time. What is wrong with me? I want to. His humility, His love, to death, I am struck, amazed. This week during noontime prayers, we read the passage in John - oh I just love it so much - reminds me of my TEC days (Teens Encounter Christ). Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:20-26.

Obedience. God, please. Ears to hear, and eyes to see, and the gumption and ooumph to follow you. Amen.

a doublemint day

Double double church church - with a sweet sweet filling of good friends in between - that would be a fair description of today. Sort of an oreo cookie double stuff day. Except - I am sort of an original oreo lover myself. But - its a metaphor. I'll stick with it.

I have mentioned here a few times, my love for the two new church communities I have been attending lately. Today - it was just so amazing, so outstanding, so good, that I really do wonder. I wonder why, why are these places not just bursting at the seams? I mean really? Their awesome-ness is just breath-taking sometimes.

I am fully aware that I am a total church dork. Yep - 110% on fire for Jesus, yet something nags at me. Every week I hold in my mind, all my friends, family and people I have met over the years that are not the Lord lover that I am. My non-churchy, not down with the Gee Ohh Dee friends. They are not all pagans or agnostic, but some are. I try to imagine what they might experience, what they might hear if they were to stop in some Sunday, or more importantly, what they might experience or hear about God, through me. Because, really - that is a much more realistic view. People do not just wake up, after not going to church or believing in God, and say..."hmmm, church today?"

Today they would have heard that the church cares about women, empowering them, working to make them equal to men, and reducing mortality rates of their children. They would have known that its not just Co-ops and the Human Rights Campaign that care about and are DOING something about injustice and foodshelves. They would have heard someones needs, real (healing, grocery lists, childcare, loving, tell me I am not alone) needs, being met in a group of friends and strangers muttering together "hear our prayer."

I have a present, a gift, that I am dying to share with the world.

Look who's talking

"I think it breaks God's heart that we would be focusing on such an internal issue, instead of focusing upon the world which, as I understand it, Jesus called us to," +Gene

Not the best journalism I have read, but a good quote from +Gene. Right on bishop. Can we stop talking about all this gay crap already, and just get on with spreading the Gospel? All of the family feuding is really, a huge turn off to those who can't even say the word Episcopalian. Come on. Its about Jesus people.