Mass

Went here this morning.

Next week here

Today's service was gentle, easy, focused on showing kindness to those who are broken. It only took the pastor about 10 words in his opening statement to cause tears to well up. He began by talking about the brokenness in the world around us, and.. in each of us.. and that was it. Here we go again. :)

I suppose it was set up by the gathering song and the first two verses:

God of day and God of darkness, now we stand before the night.
As the shadows stretch & deepen, come and make our darkness bright.
All creation still is groaning for the dawning of your might.
When the Sun of peace and justice fills the earth with radiant light.

Still the nations curse the darkness, still the rich oppress the poor.
Still the earth is bruised and broken by the ones who still want more.
Come and wake us from our sleeping, so our hearts cannot ignore
All your people lost and broken, all your children at our door.



Though so many things are still unfamiiar, I felt more comfortable this time, remembering some of the responses, prayers, creeds. I still don't know when to kneel, etc. - so I don't. Got confused during the Eucharist part, as they served some people from the back - who knew to turn that way? But mmm.. it was another beautiful setting, too. Oh, the windows on this sunny day! And the beautiful rose marble around the altar area... lovely.

They did something I don't recall seeing before.. maybe this happens in every parish? As they were getting ready to read (and then again after they read) the gospel for the day, they marched a big and colorful book of it around the front of the church. It was like they do in the synagogue when they march the Torah around! :) Except in the synagogue, the people can touch the Torah as it passes, and they play peppier music too. I think that would be a nice addition here.

More good songs with easy melodies, again focused on compassion and showing kindness to those around us. Many were in 3/4 tempo, which makes you feel like swaying a bit, like you're being rocked by someone loving. :) Nice. And they used The Servant Song, kind of a campfire song from the early days of the Jesus Movement back in the day - *my* day. ;) I'd forgotten it had these verses.. which felt like it was written for me to hear, expressing my need, my desire, for someone to sing this to me today:

I will hold the Christ-light for you
In the night-time of your fear.
I will hold my hand out to you -
Speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping;
When you laugh, I'll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow,
'Til we've seen this journey through.


So... pretty much what I needed today. :)

Next week may be a lot more rollicking. I hear they have a contemporary worship band. Oooh..