Transitions and farewells ...

Today I presided at our first Church funeral since our fire ... It was hard ... the service was a celebration on a long and well lived life, but the preparation and the running around to make the service happened was a challenge ...

Not being in our own building means everything gets moved from one place to another ... if I forget something it could be disasterous ... who would have thought I would actually be using check lists??? (when I was a student way back in 91, my then supervisor recommended them and I scoffed ... sheesh, it took 15 years, but I see the wisdom in the recommendation ...)

Not being in our own building also means that my tendancy to do last minute prep has to be abandoned ... when you have to be in another building, seperate from your office and your computer - you have to be prepared in ADVANCE ...

Not being in our building means that the locale has a different feel - it's not the semi-circle of seating that we had ... it's a wonderful, friendly and great place - but it still isn't our home. I'm not advocating for a rapid redevelopment, but rather I want us to proceed slowly and carefully, and build a building and a space that is a HOME to us ... right now, we are temporarily homeles, and even though we have a borrowed space to offer our services - it's not HOME.

Like the Psalmist asks: "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?" ... the land we're in now is friendly and wonderful and warm - but it is not OUR land ... We've been warmly welcomed in and given a place ... but it is not OUR home ...

As we celebrated a life and gave thanks for his legacy, I couldn't help but ponder, how much nicer the service would have flowed in our own sanctuary ... we'll never know for certain, but in time we will return to a home that is ours ... for now the journey of a pilgrim people continues ...

dayenu,