Koinonia

Church today was far sweeter than usual. Dear friends of mine had their young daughter dedicated before the congregation. I share in a larger community with this couple, a group of people bound to one another by our love of God, love for the outdoors, and the earnest desire to bring disadvantaged youth outside on adventures. We meet every other week to share a meal, share our lives with one another, pray, and occasionally do some event planning. I love these people dearly, but as we attend many different congregations, I don't worship with most of them.

Several of us laughed together as we watched the father bounce his chubby eight-month-old up over his head as a banner saying, "Here are the Sierra pews, come join us!" Shortly, the first three or four rows were filled with the Sierra contingency. I turned around to see my Peak 7 friends, people I see nearly every week, but never within my own church.

I decided that this may be a little of what heaven will be like: being saturated in the presence of God with songs of praise and words of instruction. Praying together as a body who cares for one another. Being surrounded by my koinonia in the joyful celebration of dedicating a new life to being brought up to be a woman of God.

The experience was all the sweeter because of two things: a Sunday gathering like this doesn't come often. And I'll see these dear friends in another week for our usual gathering.

Glorious

There are songs that make me yearn for heaven. Sometimes, quite suddenly, like I'm scooped out of my present life into the other one. I was sitting today in my favorite local coffee shop grading papers. It was late on this Sunday afternoon, a sunny sort of day that reminds me that spring will actually arrive sometime soon. I chose a table tucked into a dark, back corner. I'd cranked my iPod cranked up in order to wash out the flood of conversations and loud coffee shop music all around me.

It wasn't until I was half-way through Brett Dennen's song "Oh the Glorious" that I actually heard what I was listening to. Or rather, I'd been hearing it all along (and perhaps even surreptitiously mouthing the words), but it didn't click.  I love this song. It brings me back to road trips through mountainous places. Or simply sitting on my bed journaling. The words and melody remind me of my deeper streams of heavenly yearning.  

I had to stop my work, press repeat, and breathe. Well, I tried, anyway. What makes it so difficult to sit and do nothing in a coffee shop for 4 minutes and 38 seconds? The magnetic pull of the stack of papers yet to be graded was too much. Better luck next time.