Church

Today was Homecoming Sunday, the beginning of a new year at my church, and it offered the perfect opportunity to get back on my spirit-growing journey. It had been months since I last attended a service, and I was beginning to feel a bit guilty (that residual Catholic guilt just won't go away).

As always, I was greeted warmly, today by both the senior and associate ministers; the music gave me goosebumps it was so beautiful; the sermon got me thinking; I left with a greater sense of peace. It felt good to be a part of the community again -- to feel like something other than a medical student. And it was also great to be a part of such a diverse group: young, old, white, black, Asian, Hispanic, gay, straight, male, female and everything in between, in all sorts of combinations. Truly a rare gift in this city.

Today's reading and sermon made me think about a lot of things that I won't go into here. I'll spare you. But, I thought I would share the reading, a poem, with you.

"Late Fragment"

And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.

- Raymond Carver