Renewing Acquaintences

In the midst of these stellar workshops and services of touching significance, right before I stepped on the plane to travel to Minnesota, I remembered that I had met the woman who served as Music Librarian at St Olaf's when I worked in the Music Library at the University of Illinois. She attended our regional Music Librarian conferences, and had invited me years ago to come and visit her anytime.

Through email we had arranged to meet on an afternoon when the least interesting lecture was scheduled (and that was a touch call since all the lectures and workshops were interesting) and touch base. I was late arriving. It was difficult to tear myself away for sure.

Progressively throughout the week as we moved from Advent to Christmas Eve to Christmas day, the sanctuary decor changed from barrenness to include an open manger building created from dead tree branches, a creche made from a bale of straw, a huge epiphany star created from a burst of branches bound together and sprayed bright white, a star that moved from outside into the sanctuary to the manger over the creche to the altar and back outside.

As my friend and I hugged hello after five years of not seeing each other, I was amazed at how easily we reconnected. She showed me through her library, and we chatted about music librarianship and other librarians we both knew, what was happening in their worlds. We ended up in her kitchen head and toeing green beans from a coop garden she participates in, continuing to build our connection as I got to know a bit about her family (artist husband, 2 charming adopted girls and a friendly dog).

Yes. More community. Reach out. It is the message of Advent. God reaching out to us encouraging us to reach out to others. I was sad to have to say goodnight and head back to the dorm, but the day begins early with a 7am breakfast before an 8am choir rehearsal in preparation for singing in the morning service. It has been wonderful to pick up a small piece of life as it used to be and bring it into the here and now. My kids would be proud.