I am sitting here eating a Bologna sandwich and I just finished watching the last 45 minutes of the Movie "Almost Famous". I've seen the movie maybe 10 times and it is my favorite Rock and Roll movie. Great music, good story.....but what is on my mind is today's church service at First Church in Pittsfield MA. I have noticed something interesting and it offers proof that while maybe struggling ,this is a place that is living, breathing and growing! Today, had a different feel, an aura of love...healing...caring....and community....a caring community. Dianne and James sang a song..a beautiful song and it felt like a gift...like love being passed back to the many people who loved them enough to care and pray about a crisis they are dealing with. It just all felt right and full of emotion! Isn't this evidence of life. The building had a different feel. Just like Palm Sunday had a different feel when instead of the expected few people staying for a "Community Communion", everyone stayed, sang and prayed in spite of there not being enough room. Who cared about that..we all just squeezed together as a community, much like a group of early Christians may have done spontaneously in a dark crowded cave or small room to share in a celebration of communion...eating bread and drinking wine to lead more intoxicating and creative lives! Hmmm...evidence of life right. For if it was dead we'd come back week after week to feel the same..look the same...act the same! If something that once lived is dead...when you go back days later it will look and feel the same..in fact the only evidence of change would be smell and rot...not loving, sharing and giving back to those who gave to you! I just looked up the word AURA in the dictionary...wanting to be sure I had it right...and one definition is cool.."a luminous radiation"! I love the word luminous...seems spiritual to me....the moon is luminous...as is the sun...one takes place at night..the other during the day...both are beautiful!
So back to Church...something living and organic is happening...and interestingly when I read our minister's blog he talked about spending the latter part of the day gardening..perfect...cultivating souls at church..cultivating the land to produce beauty...both are a little bit of heaven..both require getting your hands dirty..but both bring joy and build windows and doors to a room here on earth that I see as the Kingdom of Heaven! How about a song from "Almost Famous" to end for this day!
Well, enough rambling...I just feel that I am seeing some things and I am not sure I am communicating what I feel very well...This is just stream of consciousness writing...maybe I am so tired I am delirious. Sleep has not been my friend lately!
Oh yes....one last thing...the music today is not to be under estimated in its ability to create a spirit and power to transform, heal and guide. I can never escape the truth of creativity as the hand of God. John Keats said, "I believe in nothing but the the holiness of the hearts affections and the truth of the imagination." Ralph Waldo Emerson in his poem The Poet wrote that, "the poet stands one step nearer to things!"
You are so gifted with expressing thoughts and feelings. Use them to reach people. Most of all, thanks for putting your heart out there.
ReplyDelete