Just Checking In

After a weekend away from blogging, it’s good to be back. The last few days have been full of a variety of pleasures for me. It began on Friday night, when as usual I went to church to pray with a group of folks. This has been our Friday evening practice for some time, and it has been an incredible blessing. But this Friday was probably the richest and most satisfying time of prayer since I began meeting with this group back in, oh, November.

Then, on Saturday night, I went to the local 60s-throwback coffeehouse, Acoustic Coffee, to see my son’s band, Touching Ground. This was just an incredible evening. The opeing act was a young country singer by the name of Liz Carlisle. For an example of her work, try going here and playing her rendition of the wonderful traditional ballad, The Water is Wide. Then came Vannessa Torres and Touching Ground. Not only was Touching Ground at their very best, and not only was Nate’s mandolin sounding better than ever, but then came the "headliner" of the night, Kaki King. Kaki was quite simply a revelation of excellence. If you happen to love, as I do, to see and hear true guitar mastery, Kaki King is not to be missed. A marvel.

Then came Sunday. Wonderful testimony at church. A sense of real excitement and anticipation seems to be bubbling up in and among this assembly of saints. Or maybe that was just the excitement of being a sports fan in New England! In the afternoon the church held its annual Super Bowl bash. My, what a rowdy bunch these Patriots fans can be. We watched the game on a huge screen, served up some incredible food (the gumbo was magnifique!), and a rousing time was had by all. But I have to say, two Super Bowls and a World Series in the span of a single year is a little much. This normally rather dour and long-suffering region is giddy with victory now. Are we ready for the inevitable fall?

My hope and intention is to post something later about Biblical "rest." Back soon.