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Primitive religion is not believed, it is danced!

Arthur Darby Nock

Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
And only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.

Elizabeth Browning



Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Sabbatical (kind of)

“Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.”
Albert Camus
____________________________________
I am taking a month off from preaching
just pecking around the corners of the congregation
a few visits here and there
and thinking
about what it means to be the church


what is "core"
 what is at the heart

in short.....
what makes a congregation something one wants to be a part of



its certainly not perfection!
because the church is a place where people always behave
and always love each other
always agree


never seen such a place
and if I were part of it?
there would go the perfection!

it had better not be the minister
ok
a decent sermon is nice
and not being shamed is good
it is nice if
the leader is not pushy
or arrogant
and shows some semblance of mental health
but the minister should not be the reason
we participate
that is just silly

it feels as if what the church is really
called to be 
is a circle of friends
people who walk with each other
down the road of life

the blind leading the blind
the crippled helping each other limp down the road of life
and at times
people with strength
helping those who need a little help
walking alongside
alongside

I will miss the little outpost of the kingdom
this month
(yes, I am going to stay away)
and they, I hope will miss me
 and I hope they will miss me


not because of my brilliant (cough) sermons
or my energy (what energy)


but simply because they will miss
their friend

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