serindipity
Since I moved out, I've had wonderful moments of spontaneity and serendipity. Another one came Sunday.
I've been planning to go church shopping, but I've been frustrated that it hasn't been working out so far, past and near future. Yesterday morning I took the kids to church for a 10:45 service, but it turns out that all the churches I wanted to visit had 10:30 services, so that didn't work.
I went ahead and went to church with the kids, but as the service went on, I realized that this place is already not my church anymore. It doesn't feel like home anymore. That's the way it needs to be; Jen needs that supportive community, and I need to find a new place that's my own. But it was still a lonely feeling.
One of the churches I wanted to visit does have a 6pm service on Sundays, so I decided to try that. That was the plan, but I ended up talking to a friend until 5:30, and was on the verge of saying to heck with it. But I'd planned it, so I got my shoes on and got out the door.
I think it might be a fit. The nave is beautiful; wood ceiling, and beautiful but slightly more contemporary stained glass windows. Small service, perhaps 10 people. At the peace1, I turned around to find my very good friend S there with her husband! S is one of my very closest friends. I've relied on her many times over the past months.
Afterwards we stopped to talk to the priest and one of the parishioners. We were silly. They asked my name; at first I claimed to be Genghis Khan. S's husband said "Don't let these two do anything together - they're trouble." And we are.
We went out to dinner afterwards to a wonderful Greek pizza place, and we chatted away.
There is much more work and pain ahead, but I believe God has been giving me some of these moments over the past two weeks as a way of saying "See? I told you it would be better if you were true to yourself."
1In an Episcopal church, about midway through the service we exchange "the peace." The priest says "The peace of the Lord be always with you," and the people respond "And also with you." Then we all turn and greet the people around us: a handshake for those we don't know well, hugs for closer friends. Usually a couple of minutes is allowed for this process.
On the Cursillo weekends I've worked, passing the peace stops the whole proceedings for quite a time, because many of the people are determined to give hugs to every other person. (I once figured out that in a room with 40 people, that's 780 handshakes or hugs. Done in parallel, of course, but still - you think how long it would take to find every other person and hug them - 39 hugs for each person.)
I've been planning to go church shopping, but I've been frustrated that it hasn't been working out so far, past and near future. Yesterday morning I took the kids to church for a 10:45 service, but it turns out that all the churches I wanted to visit had 10:30 services, so that didn't work.
I went ahead and went to church with the kids, but as the service went on, I realized that this place is already not my church anymore. It doesn't feel like home anymore. That's the way it needs to be; Jen needs that supportive community, and I need to find a new place that's my own. But it was still a lonely feeling.
One of the churches I wanted to visit does have a 6pm service on Sundays, so I decided to try that. That was the plan, but I ended up talking to a friend until 5:30, and was on the verge of saying to heck with it. But I'd planned it, so I got my shoes on and got out the door.
I think it might be a fit. The nave is beautiful; wood ceiling, and beautiful but slightly more contemporary stained glass windows. Small service, perhaps 10 people. At the peace1, I turned around to find my very good friend S there with her husband! S is one of my very closest friends. I've relied on her many times over the past months.
Afterwards we stopped to talk to the priest and one of the parishioners. We were silly. They asked my name; at first I claimed to be Genghis Khan. S's husband said "Don't let these two do anything together - they're trouble." And we are.
We went out to dinner afterwards to a wonderful Greek pizza place, and we chatted away.
There is much more work and pain ahead, but I believe God has been giving me some of these moments over the past two weeks as a way of saying "See? I told you it would be better if you were true to yourself."
1In an Episcopal church, about midway through the service we exchange "the peace." The priest says "The peace of the Lord be always with you," and the people respond "And also with you." Then we all turn and greet the people around us: a handshake for those we don't know well, hugs for closer friends. Usually a couple of minutes is allowed for this process.
On the Cursillo weekends I've worked, passing the peace stops the whole proceedings for quite a time, because many of the people are determined to give hugs to every other person. (I once figured out that in a room with 40 people, that's 780 handshakes or hugs. Done in parallel, of course, but still - you think how long it would take to find every other person and hug them - 39 hugs for each person.)