Glen B's response to church

There are times at church and then there are other times. Sunday June 29th 2011, before my easily emotional husband, Glen, died was one of those that warm my heart. I have always lived by the rule that, "who says your supposed to get an amazing lift every time you go to church! Just remember that the one time you miss might be that great time you'll remember and be grateful for.
Sunday was one of those days. The first speaker was kinda ho hum. The second speaker did a great job in showing how the PROCLAMATION could be applied in a family. But like the farmer who goes to the field with a load of hay and only a few cows come. He doesn't unload the entire load of hay; in other words she spoke way too long and lost my attention.
And then the following that left the lump in my throat. We have a family in our area who are very gifted. The Cooper family. They sing well and the genes seem to follow where the children also carry on. They sang a melody and ended with the STAR SPANGLED BANNER. The first to rise was our final speaker and ex military. Immediately, Glen and then one by one, the entire congregation rose to their feet in respect to the great country we get to call home. I kinda respond to the same stimuli in a rodeo as they parade the colors. But this was truly wonderful. Brought tears to my eyes and reminded me how blessed we are! I hope my family will experience similar sacred times in their lives.

So my emotions wouldn't have gotten a twicking had I not gone to church.  In a rational moment I could question the value of heavy patriotism.  It gets a little to much of the thing I don't like about humans I know who seem to need feeling they have the "best" family, the "best" church, the best country to keep them from sinking into some kind of slough of discontent.  Perhaps that is all right.  We need to feel grateful for what is ours.  But it is the exaggeration of our own importance set against the vastness of the universe that I sometimes feel uneasy about.  Well, so be it.  I've traveled far and wide and realize "best-ist" is all a figment of one's imagination.  Certainly when it adds to the superiority feeling that often makes it hard to empathize with different others, it is suspect.