Celebrating, when I really just want to mope

I have probably mentioned before that I throw a party once a year to celebrate the anniversary of being healed by God. I've been touched by many miracles in my life, but the healing of a chronic illness during communion is a big one.  At the time, I felt that God healed me in such a showy way so that I would tell the story and I would celebrate regularly for the rest of my life.

Although God healed me of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, I still deal with other illnesses and disorders. Depression comes and goes. It is often worst in November and December.  I was healed in mid-November.  And after ten years of grumbling about having to throw a celebration party when I didn't want to, I finally realized that maybe throwing the party and remembering the miracle in the middle of all my depression and despair was for me to remember the miracle.  To remember God's Love.

Tomorrow, I am going to The Sandbox Evening Worship because I was invited by the priest to share my healing story.  And as I was walking down the sidewalk this evening, despairing because of the pain I have in my abdomen*, God hit me over the head again.  Of course, I'm going to share my healing story tomorrow!  Of course, I'm going to celebrate healing while part of my body is anything but healed.  Why?  Because I need to hear the story again.  I need to remember God's touch and God's grace and receive a bit of God's patience.

God, grant me the patience to be fully present at this time with whatever is going on inside or outside my body, and to rest in You, in whom I live, and breathe, and have my being.  Amen.

*I was diagnosed with endometriosis during surgery a month ago.  According to the surgeon, I'm "riddled with endometriosis" and organs are attached to one another in a dangerous way.  It probably began back in my teens, but hasn't shown symptoms until recently.  I've started hormone therapy, and hope to be feeling better soon.

Anniversary of the "irregular" ordinations of women

"Philadelphia Eleven"

Back in 1988, I went through confirmation class with Mother Elizabeth.  Father Pete helped lead some of the classes too. There was nothing unusual about that in my mind. They had both been priests at my church for as long as I could remember. Therefore, I was shocked to learn that the Episcopal Church didn't allow women priests until the General Convention of 1976.

On July 29, 2014, we will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first "irregularly" ordained female Episcopal priests. Irregular, because it was against church law.  

It also took until 2010 (34 years after the national church voted to allow women's ordination) for a woman to be ordained in the Diocese of Quincy (Illinois).  Now at least one woman has been ordained in every diocese.  

Less than two dozen women have been consecrated as bishops in the Episcopal Church.  The Church of England just voted to allow women bishops yesterday.

Struggling to get to church in the summer

After years of figuring out how to get from the east side of Madison to Grace Church during Art Fair on the Square, Taste of Madison, IronMan, Ride the Drive, assorted races, parades, and marches, I thought I had my transportation plan down to a science. I looked online for the event map, the Madison Metro bus detours, and the city parking guides. Then I would choose the best combination of driving, bussing, biking, and walking.

That is until the Sunday that the Madison marathon brought me to tears. I had done my due diligence and decided that bicycling was the way to go. My son was in elementary school at the time and had spent the night at his grandma's house downtown. I was to meet up with them at Michaelangelo's Coffee Shop, and then we would all go to church together.

I followed the path I had set out. I was sure I knew which way the race course went around the square. I knew that there was no way to cross the course the last few blocks, and I was positive I was coming upon it from the north side: allowing access to both Michaelangelo's and Grace.

I do not remember how I ended up where I did. I only remember being blocks away from a crossing point, crowds too thick to ride my bike or even walk it, and this barrier between me and my destination.  

  

 

I can still feel the raw emotion as I stood there and, unsuccessfully, tried not to cry.

There have been other Sundays when I had my family with me while trying to navigate yet another downtown event that was making it hard to get to church. There were days when I really did not want to expend the energy or get up a few minutes earlier.

Why do I battle downtown events week-in and week-out? Because being in church every Sunday is important. Being in church when it is hard to be there is as important, or even more important, than being in church when it is easy to get there.

Communal worship is about building relationships: relationships with God, with yourself, with your family, with God's family.  Relationships strengthen and grow when they are tended to on a regular basis.

Darby

(I wrote this as I was trying to figure out how to maneuver around last weekend's Art Fair on the Square.)