The Rector's Blogs

"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known." (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Alpena Harbor Breakwall (Cf. Sunday, March2)

Archive

Newer | Older

Saturday, March 22, 2008

May God bless us,
that in us may be found love and humility,
obedience and thanksgiving,
discipline, gentleness and peace.

This conclusion of Night Prayer on Easter Eve (actually Easter itself, since we've celebrated the Great Vigil) resonates with the hospitality our small Vigil congregation showed to a special guest. "Georgia" phoned forty minutes before the Vigil to ask if we were having a Service this night. "You betcha. At seven," I replied. "Good. I'll be there." And she was -- although in a far corner of the room where we gathered to light the Paschal Candle to lead us into the darkened church.

I had little time to foster our acquaintance before the Service, but she took advantage of every second, smiling broadly and quickly explaining that her missing teeth would soon be replaced. She reported that she came to Trinity every Sunday, and I shortly realized she was one of our Sunday Supper clients. "Wonderful," I thought. We -- the Vestry -- had discussed just Tuesday why we don't have any of this clientele worship with us.

Georgia is "special" or whatever the politically correct adjective is. When I raised my arms into the ourans position during the Eucharistic Prayer, she did the same. It took me a moment to realize that she was not a Pentecostal Christian or a Charismatic Episcopalian, but was only imitating me. AOK regardless!

A few minutes later, when I gave her "The body of Christ. The bread of heaven," she loudly responded, "Thank you, God." Not what I would have expected in either the words or the volume with which she spoke them, but how entirely appropriate! How much more appreciative of God's gift than the Prayer Book's prescribed "Amen."

After the post-Communion prayer, "Jesus Christ is ris'n today," and "Alleluia. Alleluia. Let us go forth in the name of Christ," we few congregants casually greeted one another. And we all made a point of greeting Georgia, who quickly asked, "Can I join your congregation?"

Yes!

May God bless us,
that in us may be found love and humility,
obedience and thanksgiving,
discipline, gentleness and peace.

9:48 pm est

Monday, March 17, 2008
Better sometimes to receive than give
A woman aged forty-eight or so came into church late this afternoon. I asked if I could help her. (It's not that I asked her age, but that she told me the year she was graduated from high school when our conversation led us to realize I knew somebody from her hometown in the Thumb.) She asked where the parish office was. I took her there, and upon finding the office manager busy on the phone, again asked if I could help her.

She began to cry, and blubbered through her tears that all her life she had been a giver, but now her circumstances were forcing her to be a taker: she had been referred to us for food from our pantry.

"Would you like to sit awhile and talk?" I asked. And for a moment, it seemed she would. Drawing herself up, however, she thanked me and said she would at the moment prefer to gather the food. So I went to the pantry, pulled out two empty cartons, checked out the hand-out list on the upright freezer, and filled the cartons.

Afterwards, grateful, she volunteered her story. She had recently left a bad relationship, lost a brother to cancer, checked herself into a local rehab facility, been found to have been mis-diagnosed for MS and bi-polarity, prescribed one medication instead of the four she had been taking, and had been today released to re-enter the world in which she has been drawing disability from the state.

She struck me as maybe disabled, but certainly not unable. She seemed to have the moxy and gifts to resume that former life in which she had -- in her own estimation, at least -- always been a giver rather than a taker. I could only tell her as much as she seemed willing to hear: that today, it was more blessed to receive than to give.

5:24 pm est

Archive

Newer | Older