Faces tell a lot. When I do therapy I watch people’s bodies and particular their faces. They often can reveal what is really happening inside. We all wear masks of one sort or another. The words tell a story not reflected on the face. The face reveals something else. So I watch for signs on the face of what is happening that the words do not convey.
The Sunday Pastor Craig and I shared the sermon, our closing hymn was, “How Great Thou Art”. As I exited the service up the center isle, I usually greet people by eye contact and mouth a greeting. But this Sunday something else happened. As I walked up the isle I saw many of you with eyes closed singing from your hearts. Some had tears in your eyes and all were singing. It was obvious that something deep was happening.The faces reflected something happening “inside” and “behind” the face... the faces were showed something of a connection to God that this song evoked. It was universally taking people into a place of deep emotion and connection. It was an epiphany. A time of revealing. Collectively and individually.
It happened after each of the three sanctuary services and it touched me to see so many of you so deeply moved. This is what “church” should and is supposed to be. A place where together, and yet individually, we meet our God. We recognize how great God is and how great it is to be known by God.
Church is NOT an institution, building, creed, or organization. Church is a community where we come together to connect, cultivate our spirit, and to commit our lives to that which is larger than us collectively or individually ...to that which is transcendent... to God.
We gather together because in community we share our deepest connection together. We are stronger than any one of us is, and yet we each experience God in deeply personal and unique ways.
In our church we have some people who are theologically more conservative and some that are more theologically liberal, yet we sing these songs and somehow we connect to that which is larger than either, or any label. We somehow need to hold on to that connection to each other. Somehow we need to recall in our souls that sense of wonder and connection we have when we sing that song.
We need to remember that in each of us, there is a bit of all of us, and that all of us want and need God and each other.(Reverend Greg LaDue)
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