It was a brilliant afternoon.  An A+ day if days were to be graded.  In fact, I may dare to say it was almost criminal to be indoors on a day like this.  Not being one to break any laws, I ventured out, for just a while, in-between computer work, home visits and assorted errands.  I walked around the neighborhood here at St. Nicholas.  Lawns being mowed.  Gardens being tended to.  Children rushing out from school buildings, scattering in multiple directions.  Most headed toward their waiting parents who were sitting in their cars, engines running and radios tuned to stations all competing to be the loudest.  I ignored all that noise, hard as it was and focused on one particular sound of nature.  I heard the birds; the glorious song of birds nesting in the trees, calling out to one another.  Does a heart good to hear birds sing.  In spite of the humming of gas mowers, over amplified radios and the normally cheerful sound of kids, I wanted only to hear nature.  You know, when we want some thing bad enough, like hearing birds singing, we will hear them.  Just focus.  Block out all that other static and the sound we wish to take in will be our welcomed company.  I walked, listened and smiled all the while.  It seemed as if everything was right with the world.  The birds were my companions, the sun was warm and the breeze, though slight, kissed my face.  Yes, the world was right. 
 
Last Sunday, the honor had been granted me to be guest preacher at our neighbor church Prince of Peace Methodist.  Their pastor, the Rev. Cerna Rand and I have become good friends.  She is a survivor of cancer; fighting hard and long and defeating that dreadful disease.  She, like myself, born and raised Roman Catholic, came to know and love our current and respective faith communities later in our adult years.  We both became leaders of our churches and find ourselves serving people we truly love.  Talk about being blessed.  That is what we are, she and I, blessed indeed.

The good people of Prince of Peace are working at becoming a Reconciling Parish.  What does that mean?  Well, we all know what reconciliation is:  the act of forgiveness, to seek and/or be forgiven.  The Methodist Church, for quite some time, denied our gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender sisters and brothers an equal place in their houses of worship.  Of course, our own Episcopal Church, blessedly so, came to Her senses some time back with regards to full inclusion of all people, as equals and all to be received fully and without exception.  It takes time, even for something so right, good and holy as equality and justice to be embraced and enacted.  We are both example and teacher, we Episcopalians and in particular, we here at St. Nicholas.  It is our sacred duty to set an example to all others what equality and justice will do to the human heart.  And it is just as important and our sacred duty to teach others that embracing all God's children is a joyful and blessed thing.  May we always be examples of all that is right and just.  May we always teach others the importance and need for equality and justice.  May we always do so with hearts open to welcome others in, just as our church doors are open to all who wish to enter in, worship and be part of a family that loves unconditionally.

It's a brilliant, late afternoon.  The sun is beginning to lean toward the west.  Clouds are shifting, moving ever so slowly eastward.  Still, they're moving.  And the birds, oh, I can still hear them...in my heart and the song they sing is beautiful.

Amen.

(***written prayer requests)