Raise Up Marky to Be Just Like Bill

Linda and I went to church tonight. We haven't gone together in quite some time. It was a beautiful time. For those who have never been to Sanctuary on a Sunday night, or for that matter, for those of you who don't even go to church, we do things just a little differently. At Sanctuary, doing church is less important than being the Church. We are simply a community of faith choosing to walk with Jesus, to share worship and prayer and love and care for the poor. The result is a church experience that is as different as the people who show up each week.

Tonight, as we turned our attention to Jesus in the communion time, a woman spoke from a place of deep and painful need. In some churches she would be considered an interruption, but we listened carefully. She read from Thessalonians and as she got to the part where it says,"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you" her voice went very quiet. She told us about how isolated she feels with her current housing arrangement, and then she wept. Then it occurred to me that her interruption was similar to several recorded in the bible. On more than one occasion, when Jesus came near, he was hijacked by some poor sick and blind person asking for healing. So, when Jesus said, "Where two or three get together to remember me..." Well, tonight I think Jesus was nearby.

Linda left at the half time to go home to start Mark's evening meds and feed. I stayed because a friend was preaching in the third quarter. I have never heard him preach, although it isn't really preaching, it's more like sharing. I listened as my friend shared openly about his struggles with, and deliverance from, deep depression. He thanked his wife, his therapist and a very close friend for helping him through, but most of all he thanked Jesus for being nearby.

Marky's name was mentioned at prayer time. Actually it was more than a mention it was a prayer for complete healing.

I walked home afterwards. It's a lovely walk on a summer evening, through Cabbagetown and Riverdale. As I strolled along I thought of that prayer and the countless times that I've prayed similar prayers. When people ask me what I pray for I say,"Just two things, speech and mobility". Sometimes when things are looking grim I simply ask God to raise him up or take him home. Tonight as I walked along Victor Avenue my prayer was, "Raise him up to be just like Bill". Wow! I was kind of surprised at that just popping out of nowhere.

Bill was Henri Nouwen's buddy at L'Arche Daybreak. I had the pleasure of hearing Bill speak to five hundred street outreach workers at the Street Level Conference in Ottawa. He was there with Sister Sue Mosteller. I don't think I've thought of Bill more than once or twice since and not recently that's for sure. So why Bill? I knew right away.

Imagine, Mark sitting on a stage at a Street Level Conference, sharing his life story. It would be so awesome, I'd be Silly Putty.

W