Sacred Circles

I was on my way to a hospital visit this morning, moving through rush hour traffic, finding my way into the visitor parking lot, then walking into the plaza where I asked the location of one of our church members. I wanted to make sure I got there before the surgery began, so I was relieved to finally get to the pre-op room. I shouldn’t have been surprised that the surgery was delayed until noon! Her spouse was there, and then another friend arrived. What we had in common was our faith and our friendship in Christ; and so in that room we shared, we laughed, we encouraged one another, and then held hands in a sacred circle of prayer. We asked Jesus our Great Physician to work through the hands of the surgeons and nurses to bring healing and help to one in need.

Later in the day I got in my car again, this time to pick up my daughter at school. When she got in the car we began to talk about the day, we laughed, we asked questions and listened to one another, and then we arrived at home where we gathered around a table with Lisa in a sacred circle to celebrate the day’s work and to pray as we ate our evening meal. We miss our daughter Corynn around that table, but the miles that separate us cannot change the fact that she is part of our sacred family circle all the same!

Tonight, I spent a couple of hours at a Session meeting with dear friends and partners in ministry. We gathered again in a sacred circle to talk, to discuss, to laugh, and to pray for God’s guidance and direction for our church. Then the text came from the hospital as I sat in that meeting. “The surgery went well! Praise Jesus!” We all cheered together, and gave thanks.

Time for me to get home and get to bed. Tomorrow morning I’m heading off to Rutt’s to meet with my men’s breakfast group. It’s another of my sacred circles, with some bacon and eggs on the side. Not a bad way to do life. And Jesus said, “Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20).