The blessings of memory and time...

Today has been a quiet blessing of memory and time as I sorted through the basement and tons of work/paper files. I came across forgotten pictures of the the family, poems and notes and cards we have sent one another over the past few years and a bunch of CDs that need to be put away. And while there is still more filing to be done - and dumping things in the garbage, too - it was sweet to take the time and remember the fullness of this past year.

The writer, Frederick Buechner, has said: There is no event so commonplace but that God is present within it, always hiddenly, always leaving you room to recognize him or not to recognize him, but all the more fascinatingly because of that, all the more compellingly and hauntingly... So if I were called upon to state in a few words the essence of everything I was trying to say both as a novelist and as a preacher, it would be something like this: Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and the pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments and life itself is grace.

Dianne and I shared a number of wonderful times this year - and some real sadness, too. With the very unexpected death of her mother after Easter - and the on-going health problems with my dad - we were both made profoundly aware of the uncertainty of life. At the same time we found ourselves both very busy and making time for deep refreshment. Some of the highlights of our joys include:

+ Montreal: I LOVE that city and want to continue to explore it. We worked (a little) on some French expressions before traveling in August - and had a grand time wandering through art museums, neighborhoods and music festivals. No wonder Di gave me two Montreal Christmas gifts: a short history of the city and a daily French phrase calendar. Next summer we hope to go back - and explore even more seriously. Viva la Quebec!

+ Music: there were four important music events for us in 2009: our on-going experiment in blending contemporary music and the Good Friday story, a summertime presentation of "a spirituality of rock" in worship, our more academic presentation of the same ideas at Berkshire Community College in early December and our Thanksgiving Eve Benefit to raise heating fuel funds for the Berkshires. Each of these gigs combined pretty damn good musical performances with theological conversation in ways that felt satisfying - so much so that I will be setting out to do a 30 minute weekly theology/music TV show later this month.

+ Family: we reconnected with members of our family this year in important ways even while grieving the loss of Dianne's mother - and that always feeds my soul. Growing closer with some of Dianne's sisters has been a treat for me, sharing meals with both of my daughters and their families has been a total blast and spending time with my younger sisters has brought me unexpected joy. There is, perhaps nothing better in the world for me than to share a good meal with my children and lover - and that includes playing music (which I cherish.) So this year has been rich with many meals and I count them all as grace.

+ Obama's Inauguration: was a spiritual high for me in 2009. It was the best of church and civil society - with some humility and humor thrown in for good measure. I wept and laughed and shook my ass when the rock and roll took center stage. And felt for the first time in decades that I was truly proud to be born in the USA. I mean how much greater can you get than THIS!!!???

We had a sweet trip to Brattleboro (once at the end of our Montreal gig and later just before Christmas) and plan to keep going back. We saw a few hot concerts this year, too - the best was Mason Jennings in a small hall in New York - totally engaging and spiritually cleansing. I even had the chance to reconnect with a number of old friends from high school and later my time in Cleveland via FaceBook - and that still makes me smile. I spent a few fascinating weeks in NYC, too: first at the IAM conference - a consortium of artists and people of faith - committed to cultural renewal; and then at a pre-retirement seminar. I learned a lot at both events - and got a chance to stay with the kids, too.

All in all, it has been a full and wonderful year. I grieve with Di for her mom, I pray for my brother and my dad (and even our old dog, Casey, who is slowly getting frail and goofy.) I give thanks to God for our spiritual community where ministry has gone deeper this year and 2010 holds great promise. They are authentic people of faith and I learn from them every day. I have been blessed by my staff and my bandmates, too.

And in ways I never would have imagined I have been blessed by many of you who read this crazy blog and leave me notes from time to time. Your concern, prayers and insights are another of the blessed treasures that have become mine in 2009. Here's to a new year... and the fullness of life.