As I write these words I feel exhausted. The past several days have been full of activity and nights with various amounts of sleep, often not good sleep. Today, with the conferences over I found my body saying “I am exhausted!” and still I rested not. For I had two classes today. It was the first time I have found myself tired within my 2 o’clock class, and the first time I felt I might fall asleep in my 6:30 class which started today (and the past two weeks) at 5:30 so there would be no class next week.
yet, though I feel exhausted, it is a good exhaustion. The John Whitmer Historical Association and Communal Studies Association joint conference was a wonderful experience. Even thought there were some sessions I wanted to go to that I could not due to my assignments many of the ones I was able to attend were interesting, but perhaps the greatest part was the conversations I was able to have with various people, both old friends and acquaintances and new ones throughout the weekend. In those conversations I came to have new insights, and find new joys to life. I found new hope and excitement of ways Community of Christ is responding to its eternal call, and ways that are being thought about, or are possibilities. There was also one point where I had a tinge of sadness from a conversation, and I am uncertain why it effected me the way it did. So I am still thinking and reflecting over it and in time perhaps expound upon that here.
Today, for some reason in my Church Leadership class I found my sandals coming off my feet and being bear footed. perhaps even more amazing was not a single person commented on it. Granted there are a few students who always take off their shoes during class, but none of those were in this class., so it is not completely out of the norm, but was for me. I think though that somehow the freeing of my feet from the bonds of the sandals freed me a bit and allowed to to engage and embrace the class in a different way, either that or in my tiredness I just thought I was. Perhaps I shall try freedom more often… perhaps not. But I do wonder… When I prepare sermons and worship experiences I typically find myself doing so with my feet free from covering… However I think that is often more out of a sense of honoring “holy” space and the One who makes it so. Sometimes I do wish I lived in a culture where shoes are removed for worship, for there is something about that act which brings me into a more worshipful mode. So perhaps as I study theology and ministry I should think of doing the same and in doing so become more open to the One who has called me to learn, to struggle, to be a comforter, and to share the peace of the Living Christ.
Peace,
— Lyle II