A Mingling of the Years
Another Day Along the Way
Monday, October 05, 2009
Another day,
We mixed food together. Very good food. We stirred music together. Very good music. We merged stories and experiences and memories and dreams and laughter and prayer. All, very good.
I smiled often. So many events roused joy during the celebration of Emmanuel College's 90th birthday. The 62nd Feast of Ingathering where ladies offered time and energy to raise money for students hoping to obtain a college education. A Women's Ministries luncheon where more smiles and conversations reminded me of a history of care and compassion. An Alumni Reception honoring workers and friends, highlighting the men's basketball national championship as their coach talked to us about more than trophies from a game played on a court. Meetings with board members who merge leadership minds with servant hearts. Food and music outside with an air of kindness. The dedication of new entrances, the crack of bats at baseball games, the shots into a goal at a basketball game, and a night hearing voices singing songs of truth from the ages of time.
So, in a weekend of many smiles and many songs and many faces and many calories, what could I pick as my favorite? As we honored the past and anticipated the future, what did I enjoy the most of Emmanuel's Homecoming Weekend? People.
When we saw the smiles on faces, those were smiles of people. When we heard the voices, those were the voices of people. With each pitch, each dribble, each note, each song, each prayer, each comment, each joke, each memory, each vision, each taste, each nod: those were experiences with people.
In these days of deep wounds, financial conflict, political bitterness, childish gossip, and church scars, it is best to remember that people are created in the image of God. It is best to forgive. It is best to build relationships with the construction material of compassion, understanding, authenticity, and encouragement.
Let us wave goodbye to resentment. Let us dwell on past failures no longer. Let us refuse to allow the assortment of personal preferences destroy the wonder of our mingling. Let us live like one body, one family, one kingdom, one team.
We can all sing together in this chorus of life. We can hit various notes, all in the key of togetherness.
As we mingle our age and our stories and ourselves, it will flow like a God-with-us moment. It will feel like an anniversary, a homecoming, a weekend, an Emmanuel.
Along the way,
Chris Maxwell
Powerful Statement: I believe God gave us all individual differences to trick us into community life. (Gary Moon, Apprenticeship with Jesus: Learning to Live Like the Master)
Monday, October 05, 2009
Another day,
We mixed food together. Very good food. We stirred music together. Very good music. We merged stories and experiences and memories and dreams and laughter and prayer. All, very good.
I smiled often. So many events roused joy during the celebration of Emmanuel College's 90th birthday. The 62nd Feast of Ingathering where ladies offered time and energy to raise money for students hoping to obtain a college education. A Women's Ministries luncheon where more smiles and conversations reminded me of a history of care and compassion. An Alumni Reception honoring workers and friends, highlighting the men's basketball national championship as their coach talked to us about more than trophies from a game played on a court. Meetings with board members who merge leadership minds with servant hearts. Food and music outside with an air of kindness. The dedication of new entrances, the crack of bats at baseball games, the shots into a goal at a basketball game, and a night hearing voices singing songs of truth from the ages of time.
So, in a weekend of many smiles and many songs and many faces and many calories, what could I pick as my favorite? As we honored the past and anticipated the future, what did I enjoy the most of Emmanuel's Homecoming Weekend? People.
When we saw the smiles on faces, those were smiles of people. When we heard the voices, those were the voices of people. With each pitch, each dribble, each note, each song, each prayer, each comment, each joke, each memory, each vision, each taste, each nod: those were experiences with people.
In these days of deep wounds, financial conflict, political bitterness, childish gossip, and church scars, it is best to remember that people are created in the image of God. It is best to forgive. It is best to build relationships with the construction material of compassion, understanding, authenticity, and encouragement.
Let us wave goodbye to resentment. Let us dwell on past failures no longer. Let us refuse to allow the assortment of personal preferences destroy the wonder of our mingling. Let us live like one body, one family, one kingdom, one team.
We can all sing together in this chorus of life. We can hit various notes, all in the key of togetherness.
As we mingle our age and our stories and ourselves, it will flow like a God-with-us moment. It will feel like an anniversary, a homecoming, a weekend, an Emmanuel.
Along the way,
Chris Maxwell
Powerful Statement: I believe God gave us all individual differences to trick us into community life. (Gary Moon, Apprenticeship with Jesus: Learning to Live Like the Master)
3 Comments:
I think as we get older we attend those events more out of obligation than out of wanting to see people. We also tend to focus more on the food than the faces. Thanks for reminding us what really matters.
This is beautiful. To me, people are the main reason why God put us here. To love each other. To help each other grow. I'm going to be reflecting on this for a while. Thank you.
sometimes, some of us really need these even to cheer us up, and to meet some of our old friends
joshua lim
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