Even so, in recent months I've somewhat disconnected from my church. I haven't been getting a whole lot out of it. I want to go to church to learn about God, to talk about ways we see God at work in the world, and to share that good news with the world. Maybe my attitude is the problem. It's about God first and foremost, not about me. Also, I've come to value the church because it's the only organization I know of that intentionally calls different people - sometimes radically different people - to live, love, and work together as one. Therefore, I keep trying.
In the meantime, my soul is hungry. It's been getting nourishment from some alternate sources.
Bike Church
Yesterday (Saturday) it rained all...day...long. The first Peach Peloton of the season was cancelled. At least I was able to plan around it. I made Saturday my off day for this week, which is highly unusual, and rode Friday afternoon instead. Then, I spent all day Saturday getting caught up on laundry and decorating for Christmas. I can't remember the last time I spent a whole Saturday at home! It was a gift.
Because I had Sunday afternoon plans (see below), I figured out a way to have a longish ride on Sunday morning. Regular Sunday school was cancelled because of an alternate program. I decided to skip that and just go to the worship service - enough time for a ride.
Soon after sunrise and breakfast I headed for Allison Lake in the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge (PWR). The rain had stopped sometime during the night. It was about 67 degrees. If you had told me I would ride in shorts and a short-sleeved jersey on a December morning, I wouldn't have believed you. But that's just what I did, and I was quite comfortable.
The sky was mostly overcast, but the light was intriguing nonetheless. As I headed farther south and into the PWR, the sun even peeked out from the clouds from time to time. The remaining raindrops on the trees sparkled in the sunlight.
Every morning is unique in its lighting, vegetation, and other delights if we simply take the time to notice. It's as if the great Artist starts with a blank canvas and says, "Hmm...what will I paint today?"
I felt better on the bike than I had in a month. For most of November I had a stomach ailment. I was still able to ride, but I never felt like I had my usual energy. This morning I finally felt like my muscles were getting power again. It felt great!
This morning I rode in gratitude for the strength and health to ride; time and schedule flexibility to ride; a good, reliable bicycle and equipment; a good night's sleep and nutritious breakfast; a wonderful day to ride; and quiet roads in one of the most beautiful places I know.
Coffee with Jesus
Church was pretty good this morning, but I have to admit that these days I'm getting a lot of my theology from the comic strip Coffee with Jesus. It's published on the Facebook page of Radio Free Babylon on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. It has about eight characters, all drawn in a 1950s style. Each character is always shown in the same pose. One of them typically has a conversation with Jesus over coffee. The strips can be funny or though-provoking, and sometimes they hit uncomfortably close to home. It amazes me how much the authors can convey in just a few panels. Here's one of my favorites from the last several months:
Maybe there will be another sustaining installment of Coffee with Jesus tomorrow morning...
Macon Christmas Parade
My friend Kathleen, owner of Ocmulgee Outdoor Expeditions, had invited me to ride on her bus in the Macon Christmas parade this afternoon. I was interested from the moment I learned about it, but did I want to go to Macon on a Sunday afternoon? Perhaps more importantly, could I convince Robert to go with me?
Toward the end of last week, I thought about my weekend activities. I already knew my ride schedule would be out of whack because of Saturday's rain. We could go out Sunday night instead of the usual Friday night. Plan, plan, plan... Oh, what the heck - the things that make life most fun are simple but out-of-the-ordinary things like riding a garish turquoise bus in a Christmas parade!
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| Magic bus! |
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| My organic chemistry (OH-OH-OH) TOMS are also perfect for the Christmas season (HO-HO-HO). |
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| "There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." - Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows |
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| Note Kathleen in the rear view mirror! |
It's kind of funny when you think about parades. People are in the parade, and people stand on the side of the road watching. They smile and wave at each other. There's really not much to it, but everyone loves it.
It was a joy to see the marvelous, varied people in the crowd. To think that God loves each person, and each is a one-of-a-kind reflection of the Creator. This is also one of my favorite aspects of serving communion as an elder, which I got to do last Sunday.
After the parade Robert and I ate, drank, and made merry a little while longer in Maconga.
I certainly don't have all the answers, but these verses are some of the wisest and most comforting words I know:
Seize life! Eat bread with gusto,
Drink wine with a robust heart.
Oh yes—God takes pleasure in your pleasure!
Dress festively every morning.
Don’t skimp on colors and scarves.
Relish life with the spouse you love
Each and every day of your precarious life.
Each day is God’s gift. It’s all you get in exchange
For the hard work of staying alive.
Make the most of each one!
Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily!
This is your last and only chance at it,
For there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think
In the company of the dead, where you’re most certainly headed.
- Ecclesiastes 9:7-10 (The Message)
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