Before the service

In the front of the sanctuary

A gentle susurration of voices

Alto and soprano alike murmuring to each other.

I hear the words, “Thanksgiving,” “granddaughter,”

“I enjoyed that book,” “I never go shopping

On Black Friday, and “My house is a mess after I

Had everyone over last Thursday. I need to clean it.”

Here and now is another opportunity for cleansing, for renewal,

With doves in a long line of

Tales of sacrifice, of peace and of restoration

And this from the Psalms:

When you lie down among the sheepfolds,

You are like the wings of a dove covered with silver,

And its pinions with glistening gold,

Late in the story, a woman gentle as a dove,

Visited by an angel with dove-like wings,

Chosen to bear a child of the Spirit,

And finally the dove of mercy, grace and peace

Descending upon John the Baptist and

God’s only Son.

These women who speak like doves have through the years

Called us, blessed us, showed us how to serve

And how to love. And so, let the season begin, not only

With the turning of days, but also the turning of

Our hearts.

 

Dan Verner

November 29, 2016