transparency

Sunday was a pretty busy day considering it is a holiday weekend and many people were at the beach. The sanctuary was not as full as last week’s homing service – but it was easy enough to get the people to circle the room for “We are the Church.” The children played the wind and fire of Pentecost and enjoyed running into the sanctuary waving colored paper to represent wind and flame. I helped with prayers and litany – although in spite of knowing better, I stilled managed to “squash people” (gesturing for people to sit rather than inviting them to sit) when I asked people to be seated…everything takes practice I guess. The sermon was about the need to feel the intensity of the presence of the Holy Spirit – proclaiming out loud what for me is an urgent need to become a pastor – to share the good news of God and Church. I want to be good at it right now…but I am learning that the most important thing I need to be able to do is move aside and let God do the work. Be present but transparent. If I don’t learn how to do that – then I am likely to spend the next thirty years “squashing people” instead of letting God lift them up!

This week has been interesting as I shadowed Grace attending meetings and visiting many of the people in the community. One particular visit stands out from the week – a lady in a near by nursing home who will turn 91 today. She has severe osteoporosis and is unable to move very much. She is depressed at the prospects of not being able to leave the nursing home. She was under the impression her hip was out of joint and that once she had recovered she could go back home. She has been living with her younger brother for the last several years (he is in his late seventies) and she thought she would be going home once her hip was better. When Grace and I came to see her – she was obviously in pain. It was clear to her that she was not getting better.
We also visited the home of a family grieving the loss of their husband and father. At 55, he was too young to die. There was a lot of suffering going around. Grace lived up to her name and her appointment, being both present yet transparent for those in need. She was able to chat and comfort. Her presence was very much larger than herself as God filled the spaces and grieved with those suffering loss.

I know it takes practice and discipline to be able to let God fill a space through your presence and words. How beautiful the hands and feet. I saw God in the faces of a grieving widow, and a dying saint and in the hands of a pastor.