I have fallen off my Church-A-Day wagon. I have gone a couple of days, but not blogged much.
Time to start again. It’s a new month! (September, welcome! I will miss you, August! You were awesome. We had a good thing going. But, August, even good things go.)
On Friday, I stopped in Elizabethtown, New York, at the United Church of Christ Church. On such a hot day, it was cool and peaceful (surprise, surprise!)
I was happy. Then I went to take a picture with my phone and decided to check my work email. New rule: Never check work email while sitting in a church on a vacation day. It was no biggie that set me off, but still it tugged me into a “Gotta Get That Done” attitude. Hate that.
Sun was shining through the stained glass. Just getting myself back into a contemplative state when Catherine came in. She had to go to the bathroom.
The three kids had been waiting in the car while I ran into the sanctuary for my Church-A-Day fix. I ask you: how peaceful can I be sitting in a church, checking work emails with kids waiting in the car?
The United Church had really nice bathrooms. They were open, just like the front door had been. Really nice.
Today, the front door to Broadway Presbyterian Church on 114th Street was not open. But a woman wearing a Weight Watchers’ name tag at the side door welcomed me. She was expecting meeting attendees. When I asked her if I could sit in the church, she said, very friendly, “Go on in.”
But the inner door was locked. A guy wearing glasses came along. He looked official, overworked. He let me in, unlocking the door from a big ring of keys. He turned on some lights too.
“Aw, you didn’t have to do that,” I said. Like he was throwing me a big surprise party.
I had no big revelation tonite as I sat in that church after work. Just light.
What a wonderful way to end the day – sitting in silence (quieting the mind and opening up the heart)! We need to take more time in our busy schedules to do this.