Mixed Sunday Thoughts

As I sat here this beautiful Sunday morning my mind turned to thoughts of a spiritual nature. With the last of the space shuttles going up to outter space, a wedding next door, my neighbour walking around with half of his heart in a bag and me thinking about my place in the mix of things, my mind wandered into the area of mans way of expressing his spirituality. For many, they choose a church with a building, a leader and a ritual with rules and regulations to keep everyone orderly and happy. It must be hard to keep people happy today in church with twitter, games and the news of the world at your fingertips.The message must be robust, interesting and short to keep everyone entertained.

When I go to church for funerals and weddings I go there in a respectful way. When I go there I attend because I have been invited and not to convert me to their religious slant. There is always someone who wants to shake your hand and greet you as a friend. Once I was given a hug but I survived. All the rhetoric pertaining to saints, gods and higher places like heaven sweeps over my head as I try to get in the right place. Oh...prayer time.

This is a time when most people, earthlings, have a conversation with an extraterrestrial god-person. For my part, my understanding is that for most religious people the guy in the sky has left town and they find sacredness in a horizontal term- more as a quality that permeates all creation and can be found specially in people when they are acting their best. Sacredness is no longer up there but in here. This feeling grows as people love each other and honour their committments and promises.I often us the term that people live just and generous lives when they act in a sacret manner.

When we are in church and asked to pray it is not to god as much as we are adding our love and caring along with all the other people and that this pool of energy will make a difference to the group. I specially feel this is true at a wedding when we are expressing our collective love for the future of the couple.People may and can draw upon this collective love and energy to feel support. I see this at funerals where the bereaved come away with a feeling of strength and peace.

Going to church a few times a year is good for me because it avails me the opportunity to practise my spiritulity and keep it healthy and safe.