Make Way

One of my assignments while a Ministry Intern at Holy Family was to "play church."

I gathered four parishioners who offered to be my guides and guinea pigs and off we went. With pita bread and sparkling grape juice in-bottle, I presided over a simply Eucharist on St Nicholas day.

I vested, prayed the collect(s), preached a homily and waited while my "Deacon" (Fr Rob+) set the table. I prayed the Eucharistic prayer, gave pita-bread body of Christ while my deacon gave the sparkling-juice blood of Christ.

I felt grounded yet self-conscious and awkward with the liturgical gestures.

And, in the end, as I re-cessed after the bumbled final blessing and diaconal dismissal, Miss M called out "Make way for the image of God!" Okay, she is one of my best supporters and so I graciously smiled, all of us knowing that it is so NOT about me, or any priest up there. It's the LORD's supper, for heaven's sake (pun intended).

I have thought about this affirmation often - how delightful to make this pronouncement... no, not of me, but of anyone and eveyrone with whom I have contact. Can I do it? Can I internally say to anyone who comes near me, "make way for the image of God!"

In that moment, it made me smile. It still does. Thank you, Miss M!

For whom are you making way in this moment?