Why we’re here, together
by Elouise
What’s it all about, anyway? Is there any method to this madness?
This past Saturday I attended a gathering of people from our church, the community, the seminary where I served, and visitors from other churches and states. We celebrated the ordination of a graduate, now a faculty member at the seminary, who has served at our church since the early 1990s. She was one of my students, and later became a colleague on the faculty.
Since retiring in 2011, I haven’t returned to the seminary for social or formal occasions. What happened with the seminary since I departed hasn’t been easy. From my point of view, the less I knew, the better. It was easier to be somewhere else, and better for my health.
But now many colleagues from the seminary were coming to our church for a celebration I wasn’t about to miss.
Was I uneasy? Let’s just say I was a bit short of a basket case last week. First of all, I had to decide what to wear. My normal church clothes (blue jeans, t-shirts and jackets) wouldn’t do.
Yet what to wear was nothing compared with apprehension about seeing colleagues and students I hadn’t seen in years.
I needn’t have worried. From the moment I walked into the sanctuary and saw one of my colleagues, I felt like I’d just come home. In fact, sitting there, surrounded by several rows of ‘us’ felt a bit like going to heaven. I think. I’ve never been there, so I can’t be sure….
Among my colleagues was a woman I’d hired as our director of student formation. My mind went back to the first sermon she ever preached at the seminary. It was about when we all get to heaven.
She asked us why we were all there on the corner of City and Lancaster Avenues, just across the street from the city of Philadelphia and just on the edge of the western suburbs of Philadelphia. And why were we such a diverse group?
We weren’t simply diverse as Americans, but as international students from all over the globe. All now thrown together in this little seminary on the corner of City and Lancaster Avenues. Perhaps feeling culture shock. Never quite sure what someone meant by that turn of phrase, or that look or that comment or question. Or why some people laughed now and some people laughed then. And others didn’t laugh much at all.
At the end of her sermon, she suggested we were at this specific location to practice getting to know each other now, getting along with each other now, breaking the ice with each other now, so that when we get to heaven we won’t have culture shock when we see who else is there!
I’ll admit to a bit of creative memory here. But I know that was the point of her sermon. We closed with a rousing hymn, “When We All Get to Heaven.”
Just seeing and being with former colleagues and students made me grateful to be welcomed into a seminary alive with humanity. Imperfect, yet alive in ways I’ve rarely experienced in other institutions of so-called ‘higher’ learning.
©Elouise Renich Fraser, 18 June 2018
Amen! Oh, Elouise, Saturday was about so many good and God-given things! We used to celebrate – a lot – in the midst of all the Seminary’s work and wondering, and I realized on Saturday how much I long for that to be a USUAL part of our current life as the seminary…I, too, remember that sermon, and you took almost NO creative liberties! We are practicing for heaven, and along the way, as we practice, we get glimpses of its beauty, and whispers of its welcome! Thank you for being such a perfect piece of my/our life’s puzzle, which is being put together by our Creator and us! BTW, I think I didn’t get to hug you yet… 🙂
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Thank you, Rev/Dr Debbie! I can’t wait to get my hug from you. 🙂 I can’t remember when I’ve hugged so many people in such a short time. It was a wonderful celebration of all you’ve already been for so many of us in unnumbered ways. Can we do this once a month? 🙂 Willette’s sermon that day was a Big Winner, and so on point. And there she was on Saturday with all the rest from the seminary! What a great day. Phew….I get all teary/happy.
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Ah….actually, I think it is said that we go to heaven all the time, when we are sleeping. 🙂 I’m glad you felt at home when you saw your friends and colleagues and I don’t suppose they would have noticed or cared what you were wearing. I’m sure jeans and a jacket would have been fine! (I like dressing up too, when I have occasion to.)
Lots of hugs
Fran xxx
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I haven’t heard that angle before (going to heaven when we’re sleeping). It sounds lovely.
Strange thing about clothes, isn’t it? Fortunately I have a small, nice assortment of old working clothes–though I haven’t used some pieces for several years. I dislike intensely buying new clothes, especially at this time in my life. I do, however, insist that I feel at least good if not spectacular when I look at myself in the mirror! So I was relieved to find a combination that passed my mirror and color tests and still felt like ‘me.’ 🙂
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Thank you so much for sharing. We all have feelings like this from time to time in various situations and your honest reflections encourages us to take Jesus’ hand and step out and yes celebrate.
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You’re welcome. It’s so good to hear from you! I hope you’re finding times to celebrate as well. I love your image of dancing with Jesus (whether you intended it or not)! 🙂
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I definitely meant it. Been reading a lot about Perichoresis – the dance of the trinity. Dancing with Jesus has always been a very special image for me.
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Oh, wow! What a great image–the dance of the trinity. And your dance with Jesus. It makes me think of the way Jesus responded to children. It’s easy to imagine him dancing with them and with us–as the little children we’re invited to be.
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Thank you so much for sharing. We all hve feelings like this from time to time in various situations and your honest reflections encourages us to take Jesus’ hand and step out and yes celebrate.
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It was so good to see you on Saturday, Elouise! Thanks for being part of my seminary days. I was blessed and transformed in amazing ways by being part of EBTS.
Joy & Grace to you! Trisha
Sent from my iPhone
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I loved seeing you as well, and hearing a bit about what you’re up to these days! It was a pleasure to be part of your seminary days. 🙂
Elouise
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Great reading Elouise Please keep writing the meaningful pieces you do
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Thanks, Dave! Glad to see you stopping by, and hope you’re doing well.
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