From Chinese food to a Family of Believers

Today, 2/18/2012, the sky was sunny, cloudy, breezy, and windy, with a light snow that started and stopped at the whim of Mother Nature.

I reached that point during the past week I was tired of my own cooking so decided to treat myself to buffet-style Chinese food.  Royal Buffet is my place of choice! I enjoy Chinese food!  Well, all but tofu!  I know it has little to no taste or flavor.  I know it is made out of bean curd (whatever THAT is) but it is the presence in my mouth I don’t like. It is soft, formless and when I bite it, it feels like something I should spit out!  Sorry!  And boy did I get off topic!

At the end of the meal, the server brings an Asian cookie with a “fortune” in it!  Most times they are off in left field.  But today’s fortune said this: “Consider your impressions; follow them once in a while.” Impressions, to me, are those issues or parts of my life I am impressed with,  Maybe I am wrong,.  But the above is what I came away with.  And I look at follow to mean think about them once in a while.

So I got to thinking,  what am I impressed with?  Who or what do I consider to be the issues or people that give me want to consider them important in my life?

Well, there is certainly my family!  My children, grandchildren and great grand children!  Thinking about them as a group and/or individually tired me enough I had to go take a nap!

So, an hour later I sat down and found the article didn’t write itself.  Blast!  Another piece of my life is my church.  I don’t mean the building but the people who worship within the building!  My parish family and friends!

I think of how this family of believers has changed and grown over the years.  I remember when passing the peace was introduced.  It was done shyly, conservatively, a mere touching of the hands as we shook.  How people moved toward the walls so others could not touch them.

Look at us today!  It’s like a free-for-all in the center aisle!  There is as much hugging as shaking hands.  And we are so noisy it’s hard to hear what people are saying! And the passing of the peace is genuine!  The smiles, comments, words, touching, hugs seem to add up to being a real family atmosphere!

Have you listened to the spoken prayers coming from here and there?  Some come from a list of those home-bound and others for those in need of physical or spiritual healing.  People we pray for are sorely missed during the service.  All one great big noisy loving family!

And the work most of us do during the week or month to assist others in this area is huge!  Food is collected from all over!  Clothing, books, eyeglasses, UTO, AA, NA, different clubs or groups, Bible or book study. This church truly IS a community church!  The doors are open most every evening with something going on. When we have a meal, everyone is invited!  The people of this church unselfishly serve others out of its chapel and kitchen.  And a few times there are more servers than those who need a meal or companionship or maybe just some time alone.

Consider your impressions!  I for one am very impressed by my personal family because it consists of people who enjoy getting together.  We love one another! Yet I am also pleased to be part of a family of people who love to get together and consider each of us an important part of the St. John’s family!

As Tiny Tim said, “God bless us, everyone!”

Deacon Bill