December 4, 2016 - Second Sunday in Advent - Another "Fragile" Dimension

The last December 4 post  "The Church Is Not a “Non-prophet” Institution" was primarily a reaction to Pastor Michelle's sermon but last Sunday was not a normal worship for me and I felt the need to add this post as well.

My wife Mary went to the Emergency Room on Saturday.  Here is what she posted about her experience:

It's wonderful that to know that people care and are asking about me. I am back home after 3 days in the hospital because of a ketoacidosis incident. High blood sugar & dehydration. I felt like I was turning to chalk. I spent one 1 day in the intensive care unit, & 2 in the diabetic ward receiving liter after liter of various fluids and a whirlwind of training. I had some kidney damage, and will have some lifestyle adjustments, but expect it to go smoothly.

Her description of feeling like she was "turning to chalk" captures more than just the symptoms of dehydration she was experiencing.  For me it captured not only the quality of dryness but the feeling of being erasable and the suggestion of having an essence that could be washed away. 

Many years ago Mary introduced me to a Sting song that she loved and, triggered by the DKA and her 'chalk' description, some of these lyrics repeated in my head since Saturday, including Sunday worship:

Fragile

If blood will flow when flesh and steel are one
Drying in the color of the evening sun
Tomorrow's rain will wash the stains away
But something in our minds will always stay
Perhaps this final act was meant
To clinch a lifetime's argument
That nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could
For all those born beneath an angry star
Lest we forget how fragile we are
On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star, like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are, how fragile we are
On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star, like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are, how fragile we are
How fragile we are, how fragile we are.

"How fragile we are." For me the transitory nature of our lives and worship permeated my thoughts during the service.  I read worship posts from 2007 about people no longer attending Creator.  Pastor Michelle talked about us encouraging one another and I thought about the encouragement there has been at Creator over the years and, from this other perspective, how little time there is and has been. 

Still there is an insight also captured in the lyrics to Amazing Grace that I believe also helps us glimpse a larger truth:

When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we first begun.