Holy Food and Drink

Irish soda bread;
Corned beef and cabbage;
Shepherd's pie and salmon;
Bread pudding;
Beverages -- fermented and
Carbonated.

Adults gathered 'round tables;
Children romping with abandon;
Friends, strangers and neighbors
Young, old and in between...
Sharing a drink;
Sharing laughs;
Sharing stories;
Sharing music;
Sharing a dance;
Sharing a meal.

The cooks were in the kitchen for hours --
The better part of the day, actually.
The clean-up crew remained long after
Everyone else had departed.
A fifteen hour day for a  few
Culminated in three hours of joy for many.

I don't know what heaven will be,
But I like to think
I saw a glimpse of it tonight.
A room full of people;
Bonded for a moment
Of respite in the midst of
Changes and chances.
Eternal life made present.

Sometimes church looks its best
When it doesn't look like church at all.
Tonight we "broke bread",
And in that breaking were bonded to each other.
Holy food and drink
Offered freely and joyfully.
A taste of a hint
Of the mystery of
New and unending life.

Communion!