Monday Never Feels Holy
Sunday is always a good day. The spouse and I take a long morning walk. We go to choir practice where we make music with people we like. We sing hymns. We take the sacrament. I play the organ loudly, badly and with great joy. We spend two hours with toddlers who think every idea we have is a good one. Yesterday we made palm fronds out of sticks, construction paper and smiley face stickers. We paraded the hall at church waving our leaves and singing Hosanna. Toddlers trying to march and wave at the same time is hilarious. Embraced by my religious community and Sabbath worship habits, I went to bed eagerly anticipating the upcoming Holy Week. I would be my best self this week.
Monday morning came and reminded me that while I am a well-intentioned spirit, I am a spirit encased in flesh and my flesh is weak. The list of holy intentions I made before going to bed sits at the kitchen table mocking me. My spirit is willing but my flesh just wants to go back to bed. Fortunately for me, I've had a life time of Monday mornings. I know
In the Mormon church every willing person is assigned a companion/partner and a few people for whom they are responsible. The expectation is that you will
visit with your assigned person at least once a month. The purpose is to make sure that everyone in the congregation has someone watching over them. In times of need, the visiting teachers muster the community. Visiting teachers bring meals, clean houses, pack boxes, do laundry, listen, take walks, and simply try to be there when there is a need and when there is not a need. The best part of the system is that assignments aren't made based on "likes" and "similarities."
Through the years I've had woman with whom I have nothing in common become close friends because they have served me or I have served them. The foundation of the system rests in the belief that as followers of Christ we must care for one another. And if we are going to care for one another, why not do so in an organized way? So this morning while I'm feeling low, I'll make my phone calls and appointments to remind myself of the spiritual strength found in a religious community.
Where charity and love are, God is there.
the love of Christ has gathered us together.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Let us revere and love the living God.
And from a sincere heart let us love one
another. Amen.
[Diane Tueller Pritchett, graciously gave me permission to share this series about Holy Week on my blog. Thank you Diane. I don't know if it's her lifetime of living abroad in many places that salts her thoughts with refreshing honesty and unique insight, but whataver it is, I love how she thinks. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.]
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