It's Sunday again

And it's Sunday again.

Sunday of a week when death and decay seemed to be all over the place. Sunday on a week when Spring tried to make an appearance and tried to convince us that hope was around the corner and warm weather would return quickly. Sunday on a week before Valentine's Day when men start to scurry around looking for cards and chocolates and flowers that are appropriate to communicate their love to their partners.

Yes it's Sunday again.

So what do I get up in front of the people and talk to them about on this Sunday when all this life has been lived and all these activities pursued?

I think that today I get up and I talk again about the great love story, about how loving Jesus Christ isn't all about doctrine and it isn't all about proper order. How loving God isn't just about doing and saying the right things. But that loving God can be about a romance. How loving God can be about depths of intimacy and relationship and connection.

I know some people have difficulty with that kind of language when we talk about our relationship with God. But it's there in the book. It's in the nature of being created as human beings with intimate needs. It's there in our lives and our searching. It's there in our pursuit of relationship and our desire to connect with humanity. It's there written in the DNA of who we are that we need intimacy. We need to love, and we need to be loved.

And so on this Sunday before Valentine's Day we'll talk again about love and will be stretched to make choices about how we want to live our lives, and learn to love deeply.

The unfolding of the day

The day starts early now with a regular appointment I have with a Spiritual Direction client from the big city, so I'm up and getting life sorted here in the field before the day gets going.

Today will also include a visit to the town hospital where we have an elderly woman who's health has taken a sudden turn for the worse, and then a trip to the north of Edmonton to a hospital where we have a young mom who's been struggling with health issues for over a month now.

Life in many respects stands still for those who are in health institutions as they wait for their health to improve, while for their families some semblance of life continues on, but with this gaping hole in their lives. Today I will try to connect with a couple of them and care for them, hopefully in ways that will encourage them or let them know they are not forgotten.

It will mean three to four hours on the road today too, depending on the traffic. That will be ok on this day when the outside temperature promises to be above freezing.

And now, best get ready. My 8am is nearly here.

So much pain out there

Seasons come and go for most people. Physically as well as emotionally, mentally and spiritually too.

It may just be a season but my oh my, there is an abundance of pain out there these days.

A good piece of my work generally is simply praying with those who are in those different seasons.

So it's sort of sad days around these parts. Heavy going, like moving through heavy piles of snow.

Just the season is all.

Chicago