Sundays, installations, and such.

Another Sunday down.

Kind of a bad attitude, don’t you think?  And while I don’t really feel that way, I think it would be easy to have a church job and think this way.  Today was a marathon sort of day after a marathon sort of week.  Just a summary of some of the things that went into this week’s worship service:

paint the front of the church

get the installation painted, hung, and finalised

get a powerpoint created for worship AFTER the installation is hung so it is integrated and makes the service unified

practice to play piano for a couple (easy) pieces for the morning service and a bunch for the evening service

practice to sing a (short easy) Taize’ piece for the morning service

get the music together for organist, guitarist, bass player, djembe player, percussionists, singers for both services

get the info ready for the liturgist

be to church early enough to get the room set up for morning service (8:30)

after the morning service, set up for the evening service (done by 12:45)

get back to the church to get the room set up for the evening service

rehearse the band for the evening service (start at 3:30)

have the service, tear down the equipment, have dinner at church, be done at church for the day (7 PM)

whew.  that’s a lot.   long, tiring day.  in the midst of that, I still feel like I was able to worship today.  Again, I will encourage you to listen to our services here:  http://sbcrc.org/news/podcast.html    Mark had a moment where emotion made him pause to collect himself, it made what he was saying even better.  Our congregational prayer was done in a sensitive and emotional way as well; nearly the entire congregation was just a touch weepy at that point.  It was excellent worship, God was praised and the baptism of Christ was the focus.

Tonight’s service was in many ways much less emotional, though I loved the content.  People were invited to come forward and touch the water in the baptismal font (same theme as the morning) to remember the promises that God made in baptism.

I really identify with this week in the liturgical calendar.  It touches me deeply.  The thought that Christ stood in line and waited for baptism, did this human exercise, brings him closer.  The significance is astounding – this perfect human, the second (and complete) Adam, human as God intended, participated in this demonstration of faith and repentance.  God’s love for us is so complete, so explosive and so encompassing it is impossible for me to understand.  This is comforting to me.  I don’t need to understand things completely, and the mystery of the incarnation and the resulting ecstasy in creation makes me feel safe and held in the power of my creator.  My own feeble efforts have no impact on the world around me, because Christ stepped into the muddy river and was baptized.  Amen, and Alleluia!

Below is another picture of our installation. The picture displays how I feel spread a little thin.  enjoy.