As I step into church, I breathe in pungent, sweet incense. I can see smoke rise in front of evening shadows on the wall. Fading light reflects off of gold and burgundy icons.
I take a deep breath and I breathe in holy.
I breathe it in, my whole being alive to incense and all that accompanies it. My ears take in three part harmony from the chant sung on the far side of the room. My body responds in reverence to the saints that surround us.
I was so hesitant to take this journey and yet, every time I enter, I know his presence in ways I cannot articulate. God is in this journey and I can rest.
So I breathe in holy and all else fades away.
Vigil before the Feast of the Ascension from Marilyn Gardner on Vimeo.
Marilyn R. Gardner 
It’s such a mystery how God meets us. And God met me powerfully, specifically, and profoundly each day of this past weekend — Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It was through God’s people and through God’s Word that He spoke, and each time to very empty, broken parts inside me. When I want to give up on the Church, God goes and meets me there. In miracle and mystery.
I’m glad you experienced this holy communion yesterday too.
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It’s a mystery, isn’t it? And yes – always when I’m ready to give up. Love to you today.
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Lovely clip, thank you! I love the reverence and sense of awe in the Orthodox churches, but most of the attenders I saw in the Greek Orthodox church here in Houston were not listening to the cantor, who was intoning beautiful Scriptures in a mind-numbing monotone I struggled to follow, they were talking softly to each other. So my two visits–made to honor my Greek neighbor when her husband died–were not a worshipful experience. I felt so sad, instead, for the empty ritual that most of them had settled for. There was such treasure available to them, and they didn’t see or hear it. Revive our hearts, Lord!
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Revive our hearts indeed! I love your words on the treasure available to all of us actually – I don’t think about what we are given as treasure enough. Love your heart.
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