I was Lost at Church
Last week, I did not go to church in the morning. I attended the evening Eucharist.
Something hilarious happened. During the offertory prayer the congregation stood up and I stood up and I closed my eyes and was lost in thought when I opened my eyes again, the whole congregation was already sitting for what seemed like a pretty long time and I did not know who long I had been standing with my eyes shut deep in thoughts about life and God.
What is hilarious is not just that I stood longer than needed, and not just that I did not know how long I had stood after the congregation sat, it is just that when I am lost in thought as I was I should have looked very funny to folks there. When I am thinking my hands generally move in tune with my mind, but here my hands were fiercely clutching the pew in front of me, (incidentally none was sitting in front of me) if my hands couldn't not have move then my whole body would have swayed or even jerked a little in tune with my thoughts. It would have been utterly hilarious to folks sitting behind me to see me move and sway. :)
Actually, during the offertory prayer I was deep in thought about something I was not concentrating on the prayer, then suddenly I heard the pastor say 'Holy... Holy... Holy...' and there was something so beautiful about how he said it. He paused after each 'Holy' and seemed to utter the next with increasing awe it was as though with each utterance of the word 'Holy' a part of God's holiness permeated him. It was so beautiful and I was completely lost in the beauty of it and made a clown of myself...
I can't help laughing every time I think of that episode. Lesson to be learnt here is that next time I close my eyes to pray, I should concentrate on what is being said out there and not get lost in my thoughts. :)
Something hilarious happened. During the offertory prayer the congregation stood up and I stood up and I closed my eyes and was lost in thought when I opened my eyes again, the whole congregation was already sitting for what seemed like a pretty long time and I did not know who long I had been standing with my eyes shut deep in thoughts about life and God.
What is hilarious is not just that I stood longer than needed, and not just that I did not know how long I had stood after the congregation sat, it is just that when I am lost in thought as I was I should have looked very funny to folks there. When I am thinking my hands generally move in tune with my mind, but here my hands were fiercely clutching the pew in front of me, (incidentally none was sitting in front of me) if my hands couldn't not have move then my whole body would have swayed or even jerked a little in tune with my thoughts. It would have been utterly hilarious to folks sitting behind me to see me move and sway. :)
Actually, during the offertory prayer I was deep in thought about something I was not concentrating on the prayer, then suddenly I heard the pastor say 'Holy... Holy... Holy...' and there was something so beautiful about how he said it. He paused after each 'Holy' and seemed to utter the next with increasing awe it was as though with each utterance of the word 'Holy' a part of God's holiness permeated him. It was so beautiful and I was completely lost in the beauty of it and made a clown of myself...
I can't help laughing every time I think of that episode. Lesson to be learnt here is that next time I close my eyes to pray, I should concentrate on what is being said out there and not get lost in my thoughts. :)