For a couple of hours on Sunday afternoon, we got to feel normal going to the ice rink to watch my son play hockey. Sure, it was weird having our temperatures taken when we walked through the front doors, but once we turned the corner it was like we’d never left. John, with his huge hockey bag slung over his shoulder, walked off with a teammate to get ready to hit the ice while I stood in the warming room. I saw familiar faces and resisted the urge to hug my friends tightly. We’ve spent so many hours together in this building and others like it all over the country but I’d never appreciated it as much as I did in this moment.
I imagine this is how many of us will feel when we finally get to enter The Church of St. Michael & St. George. It will appear more lovely than usual and may spark some unexpected emotions. If a hockey rink can bring tears to my eyes, imagine how it will feel approaching the altar. Just as there were fewer players on the ice, there will be fewer people in the pews. But for an hour, we watched our sons play the game they love. For an hour we were just a bunch of parents talking hockey. The stench of sweaty hockey players never smelled so sweet.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”
Philippians 4:8
Amy Zimmerman
Assistant Director of Children's Education
