Filling in Blanks

Now the question arises, does one fill in the blanks for the missing three days? I can say that my schedule was thrown out of kilter, and at a contemplative worship service when we were asked to listen to the selected scripture the words that applied to my life were “go to the mountainside to pray.” I wish Dallas had mountains, but instead I had to apply that imagery as I climbed the stairs to our room with a reinstalled computer. It’s not that I can’t or didn’t pray without this exercise of putting words on paper and uploading, but after six months it’s become a daily practice of setting aside time to focus on God and our congregation, and habits can allow one to jump into action mode instead of wondering where, when, and how. Believe me; I can work those questions into a lovely serving of procrastination. Instead I’m debating over the pros and cons of filling in the blank days. Pros: the commitment, a resolution to September, a complete project. Cons: Who are you kidding? Does everything have to be resolved like a 30 minute TV show? Aren’t there some pretty big blanks in the Bible? And by no means am I trying to compare the two, but I’ve always had a fondness for Midrash, a Jewish exploration of filling in between the lines of text, of missing information. We don’t know what to do with blanks. We’re used to filling them in as on a test or as a puzzle to solve.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We long to climb the mountainside and be set aside in your presence. As much as we love a good mystery story, we are also trained to define, solve, and explain questions so that we are informed and educated. We feel superior and complete when we can resolve those missing elements. We cannot know your mind, O God. Let us embrace your mystery, your indefinable workings, and your unexplainable grace. Let us be humble and accept the opportunity to live in the unknown, relying on the Spirit instead of our own knowledge and experience. As we try to fill in the answers to how our congregation can best serve you and our neighbors, let us take time to explore the empty areas serving our church family, and also the vacancies in the awareness of your Grace in the people who pass our church every day. Some blanks are meant to be filled. Let our lives be used for your good. Amen.