Out of the Mouths of Babes

One of the mistakes that I -- and others -- make when feeling low, is to spend too much time in seclusion. Yes -- solitude can be soothing and healing. Being alone with one's thoughts and worries, gives one an opportunity to sort things out. Plus, it is important to have quiet time to sit in contemplation in order to hear what the Spirit is saying. The noise of our human realm can sometimes keep us from being "good listeners."

But humans are not meant to be solitary creatures. We have been designed specifically to live in community. Just look at the diversity with which humanity has been blessed. Our strengths and weaknesses, be they physical, emotional, or intellecual, are meant to be shared so that we live and learn and grow together.

While we need time to sit in meditation and be in touch with the Spirit within, we need our human interactions to act on the will of God. Every group, committee, club, task force, or political party that we join is a reflection not only of who we are now -- but of who we are trying to become. If we are living in the Spirit, we use these associations to bring us closer to one another -- and more important -- we use them to work out how we can better become who God wants us to be.

That is why community worship, meditation and prayer are so important to our individual and collective psyche. They remind us that we are all seekers. We are all merely human individuals looking for a supreme connection with the Creator that gave us life.

It was this need for spiritual connectivity that brought me to the Sunday evening service at Trinity Church on Copley Square.

The liturgy was adapted from a form that was not as familiar to me as I would have liked. But I recognized enough of the biddings and prayers to participate. Truthfully, I was just so happy to be in a place that I felt was mine -- listening to other beautiful voices sing and recite the prayers as I listened and internalized them.

I was in a state of bliss, totally in my element in that church. And I would probably not be able now to describe for anyone else how it felt to be there at that moment.

When it came time for the Eucharist, the members of the congregation left their seats and moved toward toward the altar railing. We stood encircling the altar as we sang and prayed together. We were many coming together as one.

Then I watched as the priest elevated the bread and the wine. She turned slowly to present the sacred gifts to each of us standing around the altar. “These are the gifts of God for the People of God.” She said. And much to my surprise, a toddler behind me – clearly recognizing the element of theatre in the priest’s liturgical gestures -- cried out in a cheer: “Y-a-a-a-a-a-a-y-y-y!!!”

Ha! “Yay!”  I couldn’t have said it better myself.

“Y-a-a-a-a-a-a-y-y-y!!!!”