"so how was church?"

last night i attended evening prayers at the Oude Kerk. when someone asked me how it was, i responded with "good". And he jokingly responded that my response clearly told him everything. and so i went on a bit more about how had known the passages that we read and sang (Psalms 133 & 134 and the Magnificat (Maria's song in Luke 1)) and that the choir was lovely. or something like that.

and sure, the questions and my response were in Dutch (as i do very much want and need to practice) and so one can argue that this limits my ability to respond with more depth, but i am disappointed that my response was so limited. it was as if i was giving the response that others wanted to hear - and wasn't willing to really say how thankful i was to have been able to go.

for when i said church was good, i meant Good in the sense of how God responded to his creation each day (i.e. God made the ...., it was morning and evening, the ..th day, and He called it good). my explanation of this Good barely touched the surface of the joy and peace that the service brought to me. for i had met God - and knew once again that he will provide grace enough for each day and each situation.

for church was more than just evening prayers, it was a mixture of many gifts. and one of the greatest was comprehension and being able to participate. for the evening prayer service has started to become a loved tradition for me - and between being familiar with many Bible passages and familiar with the services, i not only understand the words but delight in getting to say the familiar words again.

i sang in chant two psalms that i knew and loved. i heard one of my favourite things (a good choir singing a capella). i lit a candle for someone i love who i see God working in. i worshipped in an awe-inspiring 700 year old church. two of the people from the community came after me and sat beside me. i had a great view of one of the really gorgeous (single, i think) guys from the church. the curator of the church always greets me with a smile (he knows that i'm still learning dutch - and i think he appreciates my desire to participate in the world i'm now in). it was just cold enough in the church for us to see our breath (but our feet were on a heater and we all dressed against the lack of central heating so it wasn't too cold - and i like winter). we sang "Our Father" to the tune which i have grown to love - and as we began, someone once again rang the bells for all to hear - to ring out again that we are worshipping and praying for this world and city in which we live, in the midst of De Wallen. And our prayers ended with a prayer we often say in our own chapel (and which I have grown to love).
[An English variation of the prayer is: Abide with us, O Lord, for it is toward evening and the day is far spent; abide with us, and with thy whole Church. Abide with us in the evening of the day, in the evening of life, in the evening of the world. Abide with us and with all thy faithful ones, O Lord, in time and eternity. (Taken from beliefnet.com, which gives the source of the prayer as the Lutheran Manual of Prayer)]

and the combination of all the senses - and being delighted (and even surprised) by so much of God's creation - made it Good. and i had met God. and that is what i wish i had been more able and willing to share when i had been asked last night.