Our last gathering before Lunch and goodbye on Thursday was a Service of Lament (and letting go). Worship is always special at Calumet, yet holds even more for me when it’s with ordained colleagues who often are leading worship from the front, instead of experiencing worship from the seats (notice I didn’t say pews?). We were meeting in a large brand new building (Oasis) at Calumet - not a sanctuary or anything like a sanctuary. We had a circle of everyday meeting chairs, with a nondescript round table holding candles and stones and a simply elegant white bowl as a font within our circle.

Following Scripture and Prayer, we were directed to visit the different “stations” around the room for anointing, prayer, and similar activities to help us experience lament and practice letting go in our personal journeys, while music was offered in the background.  

I was seated facing an enormous window that took up most of the wall beyond the circle. The pines outside that window were majestic. As the music began (simple electric piano; familiar hymns), I was mesmerized and lingered right where I was. I elected to remain seated, to quietly sing along to the hymns behind my mask, and look out that window rather than get up. It was what I most needed.  I remained there for the entire time, humming or softly singing, sometimes with tears in my eyes, it was so moving. That time and that music filled me with such peace, it lingered long into my 4+ hour drive home.