Dear St. Mary's,
Tomorrow we begin our Godly Play stories in our Godly Play room, and next Sunday (Lord-willing) we will welcome our youngest community members into our nursery for the first time since March 2020. It is enough to bring me to tears and keep me awake at night like Christmas is coming. There is so much to celebrate! In so many ways I find myself tempted to feel like we've arrived--to say, "This is what we've been waiting for!"
But I have been thinking about the story of Abram and Sarai traveling in the desert following God into the unknown--Godly Play tells it like this:
"They finally came to a place called Shechem. Abram climbed up a hill and prayed to God, and God was there, so Abram built an altar to mark the place. Then they went on. Next, they came to a place near Bethel. Abram prayed again and God was there, also. Abram built an altar to mark this place, too. God was not just here or there. All of God was everywhere."
It's so easy for me to anticipate God being in the joy of our reunion, in the "finished" Godly Play room, in the nursery coming together, in the Eucharist we will finally share--Like Abram, I want to pray and build altars in my heart. I want to mark these moments because they are meaningful and worth celebrating. But God is not just here or there. All of God is everywhere.
God was there in March of 2020 when there was only a desert in front of us with no end in sight. God was there when we sat six feet apart in camp chairs in the parking lot listening to God's stories. God will be there when things feel ordinary again. God will be there when we are late to church and grouchy in the car. God will be there when we don't have enough volunteers. God will be there when we are vacuuming sand off of the Godly Play floor. God will be fully present with us through every tear and diaper change in the nursery. I wonder why we don't build altars, then? Is it any less miraculous that God would be with us in those places? I wonder if it's actually more miraculous? I wonder if there's anywhere we can go where God isn't with us? God is not just here or there. All of God is everywhere.
Peace,
Flo