The Banzai Chronicles

Jesus proclaims unlimited forgiveness, not the excoriation of sinners. He hands our the resurrection of the body, not spiritual perfection in some alien heaven. He comes to us in the brokenness of our health, in the shipwreck of our family lives, in the loss of all possible peace of mind, even in the very thick of our sins. He saves in our disasters not from them. He emphatically does not promise to meet only the odd winner of the self-improvement lottery; he meets us all in our endless and inescabable losing.

—Robert Farrar Capon

Already such beauty in this day. Was deeply cared for by my Lord last night, His Spirit my comforter. He knows the needs of my heart, a river in the parched places. Woke this morning with readiness and burgeoning joy. Our weather today is gorgeous, and I am infected with a gratitude that spreads to nearly every thought.

Set-up and launch of first service was smooth as could be; I'm now in the midst of my coffee break. A couple of great Victrola moments: an invite to the bon voyage party for Courtney and Melissa, and a traded smile and hello with the beautiful, gentle-looking woman behind me in line. She's caught my eye before— I am a silly, shallow man, but a happy one.

The rest of the day looks good to me: serving and worship the rest of the morning, an hour of Deep Space Nine, various household tasks and preparation for the final Staff Meeting at my apartment tomorrow, and finishing The Sacred Romance. Yet my joy is in none of the doing, but in the being— the being with my Lord, the being known and loved. I fear my description falls flat.

I still long. But I also trust and hope. He is drawing me so very close, and I cannot even imagine how maginficently He will come through for me.

P.S. The gentle-looking woman is writing in a large spiral journal with a red pen. I want to read it. LiveJournal has spoiled me.