Small Daily Acts of...

Devotion

“Shall we gather at the river,

Where bright angel feet have trod,

With its crystal tide forever,

Flowing by the throne of God.

Yes, we'll gather at the river,

the beautiful, the beautiful river,

Gather with the saints at the river,

That flows by the throne of God...”

Carl Jackson & Robert Lowery (“Shall We Gather at the River”)

I attended Mary Ann's funeral yesterday. The large, airy Catholic Church, was filled with flowers—some from their Easter service, and so many beautiful live ones for planting. The church was packed. The line of mourners, extending outside the church doors and all the way to the front of the sanctuary, slowly made their way to shake hands and share hugs with her family for over an hour until a priest finally had to call time. The sanctuary shone bright from the light pouring through enormous stained glass windows depicting memorable stories from the Bible. Ten or twelve priests, thankfully, of diverse ethnicity, sanctified the elements and served communion. Her brother, a priest of thirty years, was the celebrant. And when the participants spoke of Mary Ann, there was true reverence in their voices and in their words. One priest even suggested she might be a saint. It was a beautiful service for a beautiful person.

I confess, having grown up in high Episcopal church, I miss all the pomp and ceremony. I miss the familiar words and prayers. The church, for all its failures and horrific history, feels like home to me. I sing about a mythical river flowing by the throne of God with angel feet glowing in its sand, a beautiful image that has drawn people for thousands of years, even as I question what it means and how it is relevant. I feel the draw of the images and the yearning of millions of people for something powerful to believe in. I take my place among the billions of humans who want a sense of the sacred to be alive and real in their lives.

One of the stories told about Mary Ann was that, until she got too sick to do it, she was part of a team who, for an hour a day, came to the church to pray over the Eucharist elements. Each member of the team prays for an hour around the clock. I am impressed by the sacredness and devotion of that simple act. It seems that one way to create more holiness in one's life is to practice these small acts of devotion—regardless of whether or not we attach them to a particular religion. Planting a garden, and tending it, is a sacred act. Acknowledging the presence of the Divine in ordinary tasks makes them feel sacred. As Carl Jung said, “Bidden or not, God is always present.”

I hope that you are able to find what's holy in your life today. Whatever you do, ask Divine Spirit to participate and guide. Our reverence is needed to create and call back our hearts and minds to what is meaningful in this world. Mary Ann knew that every day of her life. I appreciate her showing the rest of us how it's done.

                                                                  In the Spirit,

                                                                     Jane