- The blessing of an entire row to myself on an early morning flight Saturday
- The news of my roommate's engagement
- Long hugs from a dear friend
- Lunch with the wedding couple
- Prayer in a park
- Photos and laughter
- stained glass windows
- beautiful music made by friends
- driving around not sure exactly where we were
- stopping in the funniest of locations
- eating very little
- sleeping even less
- long conversations with wonderful new friends
- the princess suite
- two beautiful little girls who will stand out in my memory
- crisis averted, and becoming "unofficial flower girls"
- seeing and dreaming, and yet sort of being okay
- applesauce and crackers
- rooibos tea and hummus
- roses
- a "sprint" down the aisle
- words of blessing spoken
- My God is Mighty to Save
- joy and peace in the midst of it all
- a tearful goodbye
- answered prayers of the little sort - a non-chatty seat mate on the flight home
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The Weekend That Was
Snapshots in point form from my weekend...
Headlines
Baptism and Eucharist Connected - Henri Nouwen
another thought, arrived just this morning from the Henri Nouwen society.
Eucharist, the Sacrament of Communion
Baptism opens the door to the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the sacrament through which Jesus enters into an intimate, permanent communion with us. It is the sacrament of the table. It is the sacrament of food and drink. It is the sacrament of daily nurture. While baptism is a once-in-a-lifetime event, the Eucharist can be a monthly, weekly, or even daily occurrence. Jesus gave us the Eucharist as a constant memory of his life and death. Not a memory that simply makes us think of him but a memory that makes us members of his body. That is why Jesus on the evening before he died took bread saying, "This is my Body," and took the cup saying, "This is my Blood." By eating the Body and drinking the Blood of Christ, we become one with him.
Eucharist, the Sacrament of Communion
Baptism opens the door to the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the sacrament through which Jesus enters into an intimate, permanent communion with us. It is the sacrament of the table. It is the sacrament of food and drink. It is the sacrament of daily nurture. While baptism is a once-in-a-lifetime event, the Eucharist can be a monthly, weekly, or even daily occurrence. Jesus gave us the Eucharist as a constant memory of his life and death. Not a memory that simply makes us think of him but a memory that makes us members of his body. That is why Jesus on the evening before he died took bread saying, "This is my Body," and took the cup saying, "This is my Blood." By eating the Body and drinking the Blood of Christ, we become one with him.
More thoughts on baptism from Henri Nouwen
Baptism is a topic I've been thinking a lot about lately. So I've been delighted to receive these observations from Henri Nouwen in my inbox the last little while...
Baptism, the Way to Freedom
When parents have their children baptised they indicate their desire to have their children grow up and live as children of God and brothers or sisters of Jesus, and be guided by the Holy Spirit.
Through birth a child is given to parents; through baptism a child is given to God. At baptism the parents acknowledge that their parenthood is a participation in God's parenthood, that all fatherhood and motherhood comes from God. Thus baptism frees the parents from a sense of owning their children. Children belong to God and are given to the parents to love and care for in God's name. It is the parents' vocation to welcome their children as honored guests in their home and bring them to the physical, emotional, and spiritual freedom that enables them to leave the home and become parents themselves. Baptism reminds parents of this vocation and sets children on the path of freedom.
Baptism, the Way to Community
Baptism is more than a way to spiritual freedom. It also is the way to community. Baptising a person, whether child or adult, is receiving that person into the community of faith.
Those who are reborn from above through baptism, and are called to live the life of sons and daughters of God, belong together as members of one spiritual family, the living body of Christ. When we baptise people, we welcome them into this family of God and offer them guidance, support, and formation, as they grow to the full maturity of the Christ-like life.
Baptism, a Call to Commitment
Baptism as a way to the freedom of the children of God and as a way to a life in community calls for a personal commitment. There is nothing magical or automatic about this sacrament. Having water poured over us while someone says, "I baptise you in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit," has lasting significance when we are willing to claim and reclaim in all possible ways the spiritual truth of who we are as baptised people.
In this sense baptism is a call to parents of baptised children and to the baptised themselves to choose constantly for the light in the midst of a dark world and for life in the midst of a death-harbouring society.
Baptism, the Way to Freedom
When parents have their children baptised they indicate their desire to have their children grow up and live as children of God and brothers or sisters of Jesus, and be guided by the Holy Spirit.
Through birth a child is given to parents; through baptism a child is given to God. At baptism the parents acknowledge that their parenthood is a participation in God's parenthood, that all fatherhood and motherhood comes from God. Thus baptism frees the parents from a sense of owning their children. Children belong to God and are given to the parents to love and care for in God's name. It is the parents' vocation to welcome their children as honored guests in their home and bring them to the physical, emotional, and spiritual freedom that enables them to leave the home and become parents themselves. Baptism reminds parents of this vocation and sets children on the path of freedom.
Baptism, the Way to Community
Baptism is more than a way to spiritual freedom. It also is the way to community. Baptising a person, whether child or adult, is receiving that person into the community of faith.
Those who are reborn from above through baptism, and are called to live the life of sons and daughters of God, belong together as members of one spiritual family, the living body of Christ. When we baptise people, we welcome them into this family of God and offer them guidance, support, and formation, as they grow to the full maturity of the Christ-like life.
Baptism, a Call to Commitment
Baptism as a way to the freedom of the children of God and as a way to a life in community calls for a personal commitment. There is nothing magical or automatic about this sacrament. Having water poured over us while someone says, "I baptise you in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit," has lasting significance when we are willing to claim and reclaim in all possible ways the spiritual truth of who we are as baptised people.
In this sense baptism is a call to parents of baptised children and to the baptised themselves to choose constantly for the light in the midst of a dark world and for life in the midst of a death-harbouring society.
Morning
After my flight home yesterday, I went almost straight to the office for a half-day at work.
Once work ended, I made a quick stop at the grocery store, drove home, got partially unpacked, cooked some dinner, and took a nice, long, hot shower.
I ate dinner curled up in bed, watching a dvd.
The plan for the rest of the evening was to watch a dvd, and then eventually get around to some reading and journalling. It didn't happen.
I was asleep by 7:30 p.m. I got up once, around 8pm to use the bathroom, and proceeded to mostly sleep for about the next 11.5 hours. I think I probably still had a parentally imposed bedtime the last time I was asleep that early. More importantly than the much needed hours of sleep was the fact that the sleep was mostly dreamless. The dreams have been gaining in intensity again lately and were particularly strong at a few points over the weekend. It was nice to have truly deep rest for a lengthy period of time.
And now, it's morning, and I'm back at work, just getting ready to start the day.
After work comes the weekly shopping trip with my roommates. Oh, and we're going out for dinner (during which we'll do our meal planning for the week) because we don't actually have any food in the house to cook and feed all three of us. So, there's a good Italian restaurant that has cheap pasta nights (dozens of selections for either $6.95 or $7.95 a plate) on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. The plan is to do that as soon as we're home from work, then our groceries, and home again for an early night.
Once work ended, I made a quick stop at the grocery store, drove home, got partially unpacked, cooked some dinner, and took a nice, long, hot shower.
I ate dinner curled up in bed, watching a dvd.
The plan for the rest of the evening was to watch a dvd, and then eventually get around to some reading and journalling. It didn't happen.
I was asleep by 7:30 p.m. I got up once, around 8pm to use the bathroom, and proceeded to mostly sleep for about the next 11.5 hours. I think I probably still had a parentally imposed bedtime the last time I was asleep that early. More importantly than the much needed hours of sleep was the fact that the sleep was mostly dreamless. The dreams have been gaining in intensity again lately and were particularly strong at a few points over the weekend. It was nice to have truly deep rest for a lengthy period of time.
And now, it's morning, and I'm back at work, just getting ready to start the day.
After work comes the weekly shopping trip with my roommates. Oh, and we're going out for dinner (during which we'll do our meal planning for the week) because we don't actually have any food in the house to cook and feed all three of us. So, there's a good Italian restaurant that has cheap pasta nights (dozens of selections for either $6.95 or $7.95 a plate) on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. The plan is to do that as soon as we're home from work, then our groceries, and home again for an early night.
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