Top ten list
When I was in middle school, I got a TV in my room. Of course, since I was born in the 1900s, a TV in your room didn’t mean much if you didn’t have cable or a VCR (neither of which I had).
Some nights, when the clouds were few and the wind was just right, I got CBS over the air. And, at 10:45 p.m. or so, that’s when my favorite late-night host would read his top ten list. If you know, you know. It was always a humorous look at a topic.
Anyway, in that spirit, I’d like to present to you a top ten list…of sorts. My top ten moments or observations around St. Paul.
10: dinner! Who doesn’t love church dinner? The food has been spectacular; the volunteers have shown up with joy; the kids bussing plates AS SOON AS the last bite is taken and before swallowed. Church dinners are the best.
9: Holden Evening Prayer. The incense psalm being sung in two parts never gets old. And then there is the youth choir! Dan Pepper and co. have led beautifully…especially those soloists, duets, and trios that have led the prayer petitions. Superb.
8: Communion at the 12 noon service. That simple moment mid-day to hold in our hands the body of Christ is so needed in the middle of the rushed week. Life giving…in so many ways.
7: The dessert spread at dinner. I know, I already mentioned dinner…but the desserts. And those brownies that if you aren’t one of the first ones to the spread you don’t get any…mmmm, brownies.
6: Not knowing where my kids are. This is good only in this one context! Most of the night I have no idea where they are, but I know they are safe, happy, and with friends. Sometimes people apologize to me because their kids are running around the church. No apologies needed, this building is a home. For all of us. That this is a place where kids can be with their people, with loving adults, and come together to pray is what we all want (and what a church MUST be).
5: The mob of kids coloring during 7 p.m. worship. I wish you all could have the view the preacher does in those moments. The preacher, surrounded by a giant group of kids with an incredible congregation in the pews is a joy. What fun!
4: Silence. Our lives are filled with all sorts of different kinds of noise and as we learned in the sermon that day, we only have so much “free” time in our lives. Don’t spend it staring and scrolling. I needed that.
3: Sabbath. I’m not always good at resting. I like to be productive, to achieve. It’s ok to pause and just be. I needed that too.
2: Slowing down. We were reminded that slowing down is necessary. But more than that, it was pointed out that in Psalm 23, we don’t find still waters or green pastures ourselves. Nor we do revive our own souls. God does it. All of it. For us.
1: Community. We do this together. All of it. These days together as a whole remind us that we don’t just do faith together, we don’t just do church together, we do life together. By checking in on each other, seeing how life is going, praying for each other, fighting over the last brownie, or taking time to sit and be still. We do it together.
There it is, my top then list for Lent. But here’s the thing. It isn’t over yet, and even when it does end, we are moved to the Easter season. So I’ll ask…all of these weeks looking at sabbath, simplicity, silence, slowing down, and solidarity…how are you doing with them? How are you doing at slowing down or silencing the noise? How are you doing at finding time to recharge or simplify?
I hope that as this season winds down, you all take some time to reflect on how you’ve encountered the grace of God through these weeks and how you have changed pace. And if you haven’t…there is still time to start. Faith isn’t a race. So if you haven’t yet, take a moment and pause. You’ll be glad you did.
