I asked G if she would go to the mid-week lent services at the church of the pastor who teaches the bible study we frequent. It was certainly an interesting experience.

His Lutheran church follows the divine service liturgy that is being set, I believe, by the Missouri synod. I found the liturgy to be long and complicated, difficult to chant when I was unsure of the tonal pattern. Yet, I believe whole-heartedly that he approaches the liturgy as his worship. He invites others to join along in praising God, in acknowledging His holiness by reflecting upon the processional, by responding to the readings, by singing the hymns. This participatory service is therefore aimed raising up the Most High. Frankly, I have never met another person who actually worshiped this way. Therefore, the unfamiliar was a blessing.

I found this a strange sort of conjunction with this woman pastor I stumbled across on late-night television. Now, I do not believe in female pastors and the image of TV pastors sort of make me shudder. However, this woman worships as she teaches. She has the three great boards upon which she writes the Greek, the Hebrew, different Latin, and the English translations of the scripture which she is covering. She writes and translates to let others have access to a truer representation rather than what has been distilled over the centuries and language, illuminating shades of meaning that inspire, exhort, admonish.

In the sermon last night, she covered Romans 12:1-2. I wish I could report all that I learned as I watched her translate, teach. I can relate one point that stood out. We renew ourselves by washing ourselves in scripture. Read it. Listen to it. Meditate on it.

Knowing how overwhelmed I am of late, I am trying to do just that. I am reading. I am praying. I am watching and listening to sermons. And I am trying to ignore my feelings and focus on that which is true and lovely and of good repute.

I wish it wasn't so difficult....