Friday Five - Think About These Things Edition

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8, NRSV)

From Songbird at RevGals: Friends, it's nearly Thanksgiving in the U.S. and it's the time of year when we are pressed to name things for which we are thankful. I want to offer a twist on the usual lists and use Paul's letter to the church at Philippi as a model. Name five things that are true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent or worthy of praise. These could be people, organizations, acts, ideas, works of art, pieces of music--whatever comes to mind for you.

So in no particular order, here are mine:

1. Laughter
The big from-the-belly kind that ends with tears rolling down my face. And the kind that starts small, sitting with a neighbor, then builds because I am in a place where I "shouldn't" be laughing: church, a funeral, wherever. And the kind where I hear myself laughing and I am all alone, in front of the TV late at night, or reading my child's writing journal from school, or scanning a new blog I just found. I don't know if I can go so far as to try Laughing Yoga, and MAKE myself laugh, but I sure appreciate it when it happens spontaneously.

2. Some music
Like the sound of James Taylor's voice. And a few classical pieces that sound amazing through the headphones of my ipod, my newest way to pray: The Berlin Philharmonic's "La grande porte de Kiev" from Pictures at an Exhibition, Bach's toccata and Fugue in D minor, and a piece by Elgar that just comes up as "Best Loved Classics" on my iTunes Library, so I don't have the name, sorry, but it has a soaring melody.

3. Babies
The way they are a miracle, every time. Those of us in the sorority of sisters who have lost a child, at any age, know the heart-wrenching pain of an empty crib or bed or seat at the dinner table. My loss is ten years old, and I can only now sometimes watch "A Birth Story", and I cry every time. With joy and gratitude for the incredible gift of each baby. Something about the birth process is so pure and earthy and wrapped up in fear and loss and blood and joy, that God must be in the midst of it.

Connected to the babies I would have to say...

4. the Sacraments
For me, especially Baptism, particularly of infants, and those fuzzy wet heads, but really at any age. The vulnerability of presenting ourselves to be washed clean and welcomed into the family of faith....it is true and pleasing and excellent and all those things.

Can I only have one more, really? If I must choose....I'll say

5. Dinner Around the Table
With a nod toward the Lord's Table, of course, but I really mean more immediate family tables. When it is just the four of us at our dinner table, and we are laughing together. And when we have extended family gathered like we will for Thanksgiving (21 at our house!), and there is that moment of quiet and gratitude for the time together before we inhale the food, and the kids start running all around, and even the chaos is wonderful. And when we have friends from far away gathered at the table at any time, which we don't do often, but always marvel at how time and distance melt away when we break bread together. I think these are all truly foreshadowings of the heavenly banquet. I look forward to that one, too, but in the meantime, I'll give thanks for the littler tables.