Sunday morning started super early for me today, with the alarm going off at 615am!
Knowing that Nick would be picking me up at 9am along with a huge pot of soup, a big basket of assorted things including everything from bagels to bunny crackers and from grapes to pipe cleaner figures of John the Baptist!! I had to factor in visiting my friend’s cat to feed her, walking Wil and, of course the usual Sunday phone call from Cousin Ron.
But I was ready and waiting in my coat when Nick drove up and soon, after stopping to pick up Fred, we were on our way to church. Once there I quickly got the soup heating and set up activity trays complete with a snack (the bunny crackers and grapes), colouring pages of John the Baptist, the pipe cleaner and clothespin craft complete with a square of fuzzy beige fabric fuzzy beige fabric (camel hair!!) and some word puzzles for the older children.
After getting out soup bowls, spoons, plates and knives, and slicing the bagels, I also set up the Advent Wreath. Soon people began to arrive for our Celebration of the Eucharist.
Regular blog readers will know that our church is now on the point of closure so each of these Gatherings is very precious, as they will hold memories for us all. Standing in the kitchen after church one member commented that this morning had been “normal” and yet “not normal”. I felt the same way and several times had to fight back tears as I watched the children industriously colouring or joined one of them on the carpet to help read a word puzzle, or showed another how to wrap the pipe cleaner around the clothespin to make arms.
And when I went forward to take the small silver chalice from Nick and administer it to these friends, my church family, it was hard to speak the words “the blood of Christ, the cup of salvation” without a catch in my throat.
Yes it was “normal” and yet “not normal” and I’m afraid was we all continue on our Advent journey the road will become even harder to walk.
The Holy Family struggled on their journey, but found God’s provision, I guess my prayer is that our little community will have the courage to journey on, trusting in the same.
