Weekend in Review

What a weekend.  I’m exhausted. Friday night was our bonfire.  On Saturday, I made pumpkin cookies in the morning.  The afternoon was spent playing golf with some of the guys from CG.  There were seven of us and we were able to stay together for most of the 9 holes before the course marshall made us split up.  It was a gorgeous day for golf.  My game was not the best and I lost my putter.  I think I left it on the fourth hole and I realized at the end of the fifth hole that it was gone.  I think some guys playing after us probably picked it up and followed the finders/keepers rule. I asked them about it but they said they didn’t see it.  I’ll pick me another one sometime.

Saturday night was a costume party at a friend’s.  It was a lot of fun and entertaining to see everyone dressed up.  I’ll post some pictures when I get copies from friends. I went as a Swiss Miss girl or a Renaissance Tavern Maid – depending on who you ask. Apparently it wasn’t quite obvious but that’s okay.  It was only $10 which was the important thing to me!

Today was our Fall Fun for Families at church.  We set up bunches of tables and give out tons of candy.  We had a ton of kids and it was a great afternoon! I posted a few pictures in the Ministry photo album.  Also – my nephew Blake was there in his MIzzou Tiger outfit.  There are pics of him in the Blake photo album. Oh – and on my car ride to church this morning a portion of my tooth came off in my mouth. See – I wasn’t kidding about my jeep and me coming apart!!!  Geez… 🙂  Guess I’ll have a dental appointment sometime this week.

Beautiful moment of the day … looking up into the balcony during the 8:15 am service and seeing a whole row of "common grounders".  I can’t explain what joy that brings to me. Seriously.  I was playing piano tonight and thinking about the many wonderful folks of CG and the new people that have joined the group recently.  Today our Bible study room was packed. That is a wonderful site to me – not because of numbers but because of the relationships I see being built between people and with God. I know there are so many folks in our community that are hurting or lonely or just live with this overwhelming sense of chaos or emptiness in their soul.  Each of us needs sincere connections with other human beings and with God.  We are designed for that.  When Common Ground fellowships together – when community is present, I know God is present.  That is why everytime I am observing or in the midst of CG (whether at Mosiac or on the volleyball court or on the golf course or in Bible study), it is an overwhelming worship experience.  I can’t help but see the beauty and the promise of God at work and I can’t help but be overwhelmed with joy when another person finds a home with us. Words are inadequate to express the sentiment of my heart when I think about these things. 

I was playing some Nicole Nordeman songs tonight and found this one to be appropriate for what our prayers have been for CG from the beginning.  The title of the song is "Please Come".

Oh, the days when I drew lines around my faith
To keep you out, to keep me in, to keep it safe
Oh, the sense of my own self entitlement
To say who’s wrong or won’t belong or cannot stay

‘Cause somebody somewhere decided
We’d be better off divided
And somehow despite the damage done
He says, "come" …

There is room enough for all of us, please come
And the arms are open wide enough, please come
And our parts are never greater than the sum
This is the heart of the One
Who stands before an open door and bids us, "come"

Oh, the times when I haved failed to recognise
How may chairs are gathered there around the feast
To break the bread and break these boundaries
That have kept us from our only common ground
The invitation to sit down
If we will come …

There is room enough for all of us, please come
And the arms are open wide enough, please come
And our parts are never greater than the sum
This is the heart of the One
Who stands before an open door and bids us, "come"

Come, from the best of humanity
Come, from the depths of depravity
Come now and see how we need
Every different bead on this same string
Come …

There is room enough for all of us, please come
And the arms are open wide enough, please come
And our parts are never greater than the sum
This is the heart of the One
Who stands before an open door and bids us, "come"