The Sunday the candles were dark

What does God look like?

It is probably safe to say that to many of us, God comes to mind as an old guy complete with beard and flowing robes.

There is something to be said for that.  It portrays wisdom and stability; timelessness and strength.  Also, though, it can be rather stogy and limiting. 

I have a friend who thinks of God as light.   

Just for fun,  I googled synonyms of light and found:  illumination, brightness,

luminescence,  luminosity, shining, gleaming,

 brilliance, radiance, luster, glowing, glow, blaze, glare, dazzle.

 

Anyway, the image of God as light came to mind during church on Sunday.  While sharing prayer concerns at the beginning of the service, our attention was directed to a candle on the altar, placed there in remembrance of the passing of one of our members. 

We all looked at the candle.  It was not lit.  Neither were the two candles which represent the light of Christ.

I could take pictures because I was sitting in front.
 

They are blurry because I was trying to be discreet.

Not a big deal, except it kind of was.  Once you saw that the light was gone, you couldn’t unsee it.  At least, I couldn’t.  I tried to focus on the prayer, but kept thinking of those dark candles.  It bothered me.

When the prayer ended and we raised our heads, the candles were lit.  It seems that while we were praying, Christ came. 

I know, I know.  He was there all along.  Still, it was a reminder to me of how much we take the Light for granted. 

The candle representing the life of our fellow church member was burning brightly.  The Light of Christ was glowing. 

 

At the end of the service, as always, the acolytes carried the light from the altar, down the aisle, and (symbolically) out into the world.
 

Once there was someone who said such amazing things and did such wonderful things that people began to follow Him, but they didn’t know who He was.  So one day, they just had to ask Him. 

 

 

And He said,

“I am the Light.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faith: belief and trust in and loyalty to God (Merriam-Webster)

This is my quote of the day. 

I first heard it over 20 years ago when I was new to my church, and a minister said it in an evening class.  I thought it was a pretty wise statement, then and I still think so.

So, thank you, Milford Walters, for planting this little seed of wisdom in my brain so long ago.

May you rest in peace.

New Beginnings

I am huge fan of new beginnings.  

My friend and I made our annual trek to Nashville, Indiana last week.  We have this down.  We not only stay in the same B&B every year, we stay in the same room. Every year.  I have my bed and she has hers. 

I have the little town pretty much memorized and know my favorite stores and eating places.

Isn't there is something relaxing and soothing about going someplace familiar and predictable?

Of course, there are always a few surprises.  One of my favorite coffee shops had a lovely quirkiness that I always enjoyed.

 

 

But this year it had had left this delightful little place

and relocated to a shared space with another restaurant.   It happens.

Another of my favorite places was undergoing renovations, but that will be something to look forward to for next year.

 

Naturally, there were new places, too. 

I struck up conversations with the proprietors of two new shops.

One was owned by two ladies who had moved to Brown Co. from the Chicago area after retirement and were loving the slower pace.  The other was  owned by a woman who had moved with her husband a few years after losing her daughter (aged 35) in a car accident. 

Some new beginnings are born of joy and adventure, some of heartbreak.

And then there was the couple at our B&B.  

I had seen the notice on the lobby bulletin board.  It is always filled with cute signs announcing special occasions - birthdays, anniversaries (LOTS of anniversaries), and the occasional honeymoon.

Well, this year there was a honeymooning couple.

They were in the dining room the first morning while I was eating breakfast. I didn't take their picture, but he was handsome and she was beautiful, because honeymooners always are.  It wasn't their first go-around.  Each had been married (give or take a few) 50 years before losing their spouses. 

It is never too late for new beginnings.

We found  a new place this year for dinner.  Story Inn in Story, Indiana.  Actually, Story Inn IS Story, Indiana.   But if your town is going to consist of one thing,  this little general store/restaurant is the thing to have.

The food was good and the inside was cozy and interesting.

Stained glass from an old church.

 

After we ate, we went to the garden behind the restaurant. 

 



 

 

It was wonderful...green

 

 

and happy.

 



 

 

Something new can wake you up!   Like this swing.  I had a rope swing

growing up and it was great to find this one. 

 

 

Sadly, we didn't meet the ghost that supposedly resides at the Inn. 

Maybe next time.

 

 

Of course we got lost making our way back to Nashville. 

But that's part of the fun, too.

If you let it be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remembering our baptism

Last Sunday I entered the waters of baptism for the second time in my life.  Not for me this time, but to assist a friend who is visually impaired and unsteady on her feet.

 

It was a beautiful experience. There is probably nothing more precious than seeing a child baptized…unless it is seeing someone 65 years old being baptized.  And seeing it at close range is very humbling. 

 

But here is a very cool thing…

 

While discussing the logistics a week or ago, I learned that my friend did not plan to use one of the white robes provided by the church for her baptism.  She had bought her own. 

 

Well, OK.  But why?   I knew the church owned perfectly fine, snow white robes for these occasions.  And I knew that she didn’t have a lot of money to spare. 

 

Since she, like me, sometimes likes to dress in unusual things my antennae began to quiver. 

 

“Ummm. Will it look like the other robes?”  (My imagination was going into overdrive – visions of a purple muumuu rising to walk in newness of life, danced in my head)

 

“Yes”, she said, “but I want my own baptismal robe.  I want to keep it and look at it every day of my life until I die and remember the day I got baptized.”

 

What a beautiful way to remember your baptism.

 

 

Once, when teaching Vacation Bible School, we were learning about baptism.  I placed a clear bowl of water on a small table by the door and invited the children to touch the water as they came in.  Of course, touching to them meant plunging both hands into the water and coming up dripping wet.

 

Good. 

 

I want to remember my baptism with that kind of enthusiasm. 

 

We were so happy Sunday after making our way out of the water and back to the kitchen area that our minister had to caution us to be quieter or we would be heard in the sanctuary. 

 

Good again.  About as good as it can get. 

 

 

 

 

Eating your way through Acts.

An email from Pinterest to me.

Hi Debbie,
We’ve found a few more things you might want to add to your new Worship & Wonder board:

It was a Paul's 1st missionary journey cookie.

OK.  I like scripture.  I like cookies.  This still cracked me up.  It just seemed so....random.

But I was interested enough to follow the link to the original blog.  Turns out, the cookie was an assignment of sorts to a Bible Study group to do a map of Paul's journey in a creative way.  This particular young woman decided to make her map into a cookie.

Now that is pretty awesome, I think.  A little lesson to me to remember to put my heart into the things that life sends my way.  Not just to do the necessary, but to dig a little deeper, have a little more fun and stretch a little.

After all, why draw a map, when you can make a cookie?

And maybe put it on Pinterest.

Well, maybe not. 

Here are few Pinterest fails to enjoy!