LITURGY FOR COMMUNION:
BALLOONS BELONG IN CHURCH
by Ann Weems
I took to
church one morning a happy four-year-old boy
Holding a
bright blue string to which was attached
his much
loved orange balloon with pink stripes...
Certainly
a thing of beauty
And if
not forever, at least a joy for a very important now.
When
later he met me at the door
Clutching
blue string, orange and pink bobbing behind him,
He didn't
have to tell me something had gone wrong.
"What's
the matter?"
He
wouldn't tell me.
"I
bet they loved your balloon..."
Out it
came, then -- mocking the teacher's voice, "We don't bring balloons to
church."
Then that
little four-year old, his lip a little trembly, asked:
"Why
aren't balloons allowed in church? I thought God would like balloons."
I celebrate
balloons, parades and chocolate chip cookies.
I
celebrate seashells and elephants and lions that roar.
I
celebrate roasted marshmallows and chocolate cake and fresh fish.
I
celebrate aromas: bread baking, mincemeat, lemons...
I
celebrate seeing: bright colors, wheat in a field, tiny wild flowers...
I
celebrate hearing: waves pounding, the rain's rhythm, soft voices...
I
celebrate touching: toes in the sand, a kitten's soft fur, another person...
I
celebrate the sun that shines slab dab in our faces...
I
celebrate the crashing thunder and the brazen lightning...
And I
celebrate the green of the world...the life-giving green...the hope-giving
green...
I
celebrate birth: the wonder...the miracle...of that tiny life already
asserting its selfhood.
I celebrate
children
who laugh
out loud
who walk
in the mud and dawdle in the puddles
who put
chocolate fingers anywhere
who like
to be tickled
who
scribble in church
who
whisperin loud voices
who sing
in louder voices
who
run...and laugh when they fall
who cry
at the top of their lungs
who cover
themselves with bandaids
who
squeeze the toothpaste all over the bathroom
who slurp
their soup
who chew
coughdrops
who ask
questions
who give
us sticky, paste-covered creations
who want
their picture taken
who won't
use their napkins
who bury
goldfish, sleep with the dog, scream at their best friend
who hug
us in a hurry and rush outside without their hats.
I
celebrate children
who are
so busy living they don't have time for our hangups
And I
celebrate adults who are as little children.
I
celebrate the man who breaks up the meaningless routines of his life.
The man
who stops to reflect, to question, to doubt.
-- The
man who isn't afraid to feel....
The man
who refuses to play the game.
I
celebrate anger at injustice
I
celebrate tears for the mistreated, the hurt, the lonely...
I
celebrate the community that cares... the church...
I
celebrate the church.
I
celebrate the times when we in the church made it...
When we
answered a cry
When we
held to our warm and well-fed bodies a lonely world.
I
celebrate the times when we let God get through to our hiding places
Through
our maze of meetings
Our
pleasant facade...deep down to our selfhood
Deep down
to where we really are.
Call it
heart, soul, naked self
It's
where we hide
Deep down
away from God
And away
from each other.
I
celebrate the times when the church is the Church
When we
are Christians
When we
are living, loving, contributing God's children...
I
celebrate that He calls us His children even when we are in hiding.
I
celebrate love...the moments when the You is more important than the I
I
celebrate the perfect love...the cross...the Christ
loving in
spite of...
giving
without reward
I
celebrate the music within a man that must be heard
I
celebrate life...that we may live more abundantly...
Where did
we get the idea that balloons don't belong in the church?
Where did
we get the idea that God loves gray and Sh-h-h-h-h
And drab
and anything will do?
I think
it's blasphemy not to appreciate the joy in God's world.
I think
it's blasphemy not to bring our joy into His church.
For God
so loved the world
That He
hung there
Loving
the unlovable
What
beautiful gift cannot be offered unto the Lord?
Whether
it's a balloon or a song or some joy that sits within you waiting to
have the
lid taken off.
The
Scriptures say there's a time to laugh and a time to weep.
It's not
hard to see the reasons for crying in a world where man's hatred for
man is so
manifest.
So
celebrate!
Bring
your balloons and your butterflies, your bouquets of flowers...
Bring the
torches and hold them high!
Dance
your dances, paint your feelings, sing your songs, whistle, laugh.
Life is a
celebration, an affirmation of God's love.
Life is
distributing more balloons.
For God
so loved the world...
Surely
that's a cause for Joy.
Surely we
should celebrate!
Good
News! That He should love us that much.
Where did
we ever get the idea that balloons don't belong in the church?
Church … where:
Ordinary
bread made by ordinary people is holy
when we take and eat and remember …
Ordinary
grapes taken by ordinary people
Made into ordinary wine is holy
when
we hold it to our lips and drink
and remember …
This
bread … remember His body was given for us.
This cup …
remember his blood was poured out for us.
and then we broke bread, shared the cup and celebrated communion ...
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