Worship space

I guess in a kind of follow-up to my last post, I would offer up a photo of our May worship. New screen and projector and new candles from our "guest" bassist Jeremy. Who is moving to Kalamazoo! Wonderful soul who always worked in the evenings and so could never make a service--until he lost his job after the restaurant closed. We'll miss you!
Anyway, we had lovely music and readings this evening with a blend of Taize songs and praise music. Ruthy, who plays keyboard and Steve, on violin, were incredible with their skill in leading us and helped create an environment of reverence and joy. And with our singing we also incorporated visuals with icons being projected on the screen, images used for our prayers, and quiet space for those so moved to share witness to God in their lives and in the city we worship. It was fabulous. And then of course we had dinner. Also fabulous--for tuna salad.

I love how we worship, and I love that we all have a hand in making it happen. Recently, we gathered at my place to discuss the future of our taize worship and us. I was blessed to see that there is energy moving amongst us to expand, maybe not necessarily into an every-week-taize-service, but adding on bible study to our activities, other things we called "Community-building Adventures" and possibly a simple Sunday evening thing. But, these things don't just exist as plug-in points for others; they are also things that sustain us. As a group, we all are committed to helping out each other and offering support--creating a community where, as I told one young man the other day, one can find trustworthy people who are working at being the good news in Saginaw. These are not easy things, particularly in a place like Saginaw, MI. A broken city in a broken state. But, for now, our little worship space is a place of beauty and peace; something different and hopefully, something also a little familiar.

Person of Peace--Bob.

For anyone who's new to an area, particularly someone who is looking to start a faith community, it is important to meet an individual who can connect you to the greater community--to others. This is how you start to fit it and are allowed to begin forging new relationships. This person, by bringing you in closer, tells others that there is something trustworthy about you, that you're ok and that basically you don't have the social equivalent of the plague. For me, that person was Bob Maul. I had been in the Tri-Cities for maybe a month or two and knew next to no one. So, on a day I was having coffee with the one guy I did know, I was introduced to Bob, and suddenly found myself a few days later sitting in a scull learning how to row. What?! As I would come to find out, I was not the first person to find themselves deeply involved in a Bob-project.

But, I told Bob who I was and what I did and he was supportive from the word go. And as I worked to be a part of the Lawn Chair Film Festival, the Rowing Club and Christmas caroling, I got to know more and more people. And I started to become something of a part of that Saginaw community. And as that happened, began to form a small community with some of those individuals I met through Bob. And as our, as yet, nameless community got more organized and started worship, he gave us space under the loft that he and his wife Arlene shared. Bob was, for me, my person of peace; and when he passed last month, I had the honor of co-celebrating his funeral. And after seeing what must have been close to 500 people piling into the church, I realized that he was a person of peace to many more than just me.

So, from my corner of the world, this is my little thank-you to Robert Maul. And I know that I join many in missing him.