Christmas Eve

It was 6:24 and christmas eve mass started at 6:30. I stared out my car window at the torrential downpour wondering why in the world I can't keep an umbrella and praying for a blip in the rain. A very disoriented and somewhat incoherent prayer clumsily tumbled out of my mouth through alot of frustration and fist on the steering wheel. With tears running down my face I was almost afraid I was about to have one of those Job moments where God firmly asks, "Where in the world were you when I made the Heavens. Maybe you should tell me how this is suppose to work!?!" I sat back and feared the worst, afraid that my prayer had been a bit too brazen. (as though I can really hide what I'm the thinking from the omniscient!)

Anyway, the rain let up and I walked in a bit late, offending a few because I did not know to cross myself with 'holy water'. I have always wanted to see what a catholic service was like and can't remember ever going to church to actually celebrate Christmas. Imagine that?! Overall, I think I "faked" being catholic pretty well. I made it through most of the recitations and everything good enough and got the hang of how and when to cross myself. However, the genuflecting (though I knew what it was) caught me by suprise. Needless to say there were a few times I was the last one down and the last one up. It's not like they tell you when to do these things :)

Several people laughingly asked me later if I actually got anything out of the service. Im certain they expected me to say no, nor were they interested in the answer. Especially since they did not forsee it being yes. The whole thing was a bit solemn, but what I was really taken by was their extreme reverence for the Scriptures. The crossing and genuflecting every time the Word of God was spoken. Maybe we don't stop enough to think about the fact we are holding and reading a truly living and eternal word handed down from God the Father Almighty. With that in mind, I wondered how often my spirit 'man' pauses and geneuflects not only in reverence, but in obedience to what is asked of me in these Holy Scriptures.

So, in the end, I didn't exactly have a Job moment, but I was somewhat embarrassed and ashamed by my audacity an hour earlier that I would dare to shake my fist at the Heavens and doubt and yell at such a magnificient and sovereign God. Now I'm not saying we shouldn't pray honest prayers, but just maybe sometimes a little more genuflecting and a little less ranting might do us protestants some good.

Just a little lesson learned from the Catholic church...