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Online worshiping starts Sunday

Not what I expected to be blogging about this week - but then again, I guess I have known things were getting less and less normal for several weeks.

So our awesome musicians at St Paul and I have hit the pause button along with the rest of our community. We are walking with the Aiken Augusta area and keeping some distance - hoping to flatten the curve of the spread of this deadly virus.

There is a song in there somewhere.

But today, this made me think of a specific song by Marty Haugen - "Gather Us In"

You can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruaV6pmFGAM

As you review the lyrics below, consider how when we are scattered into our homes and some of us into our daily offices and fields - how are we gathered? We are gathered together in our hearts, our minds and our spirits. We can gather on the phone, through the internet and on our cell texts, messages and e-mail.

Check back in - as we learn how to gather - from a distance... while we wait for the day that we are gathered in the same room again.

Here in this place new light is streaming Now is the darkness vanished away
See in this space our fears and our dreamings Brought here to you in the light of this day
Gather us in, the lost and forsaken Gather us in, the blind and the lame
Call to us now and we shall awaken We shall arise at the sound of our name

We are the young, our lives are a mystery We are the old who yearn for your face
We have been sung throughout all of history Called to be light to the whole human race
Gather us in, the rich and the haughty Gather us in, the proud and the strong
Give us a heart so meek and so lowly Give us the courage to enter the song

 Here we will take the wine and the water Here we will take the bread of new birth
Here you shall call your sons and your daughters Call us anew to be salt for the earth
Give us to drink the wine of compassion Give us to eat the bread that is you
Nourish us well and teach us to fashion Lives that are holy and hearts that are true

Not in the dark of buildings confining Not in some heaven light years away
But here in this place the new light is shining Now is the kingdom, now is the day
Gather us in and hold us forever Gather us in and make us your own
Gather us in, all peoples together Fire of love in our flesh and our bones
Fire of love in our flesh and our bones

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