Greetings from Chicagoland!
The Continuing Education program at the University of Wisconsin is one of the best in the country. Because I am a committed lifelong learner, I’ve attended many classes and seminars sponsored by the university in recent years. I frequently find myself commuting between Wheaton and Madison.
Last Sunday after church, I headed up to Madison to attend a clergy leadership seminar. I stopped at the tollway oasis to stretch, buy a drink, and use the restroom facilities. I walked into the washroom at the same time as a young mother and her small daughter. The little girl’s eyes got wide when she noticed my clerical collar. Now…we all know (or at least the mothers among us know) that when we enter the stall in a public bathroom with a small child, the outside world ceases to exist. Sometimes the most interesting conversations occur between mothers and their children in just such situations because in children’s minds, when they can’t be seen…they also can’t be heard. The conversation between that particular mother and daughter the other day went something like this…
“Mom, that lady has a collar like Father Pete's. Is she a priest?”
“Well, yes, but the lady has a purple shirt which means she is probably the same as Father Pete’s boss, the bishop.”
(I was surprised and impressed that the young mother had noticed and knew what wearing that color meant)
“Mom, what do you call a lady priest?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask her?”
“Do you think she would talk to me????”
“Yes, I think so.”
We fortuitously arrived at the sinks at the same time. The little girl looked me over.
“Are you a priest?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I didn’t know ladies could be priests. What do you call a lady priest?”
“In my church, we call lady priests reverend or vicar.”
“Oh. What’s your name?”
“My name is Sherrie.”
With that, the dainty curly headed waist-high blonde put her hand on her hip, cocked her head, and said, “SHUT UP!!!! That’s my name, too!” The mother cringed at her young daughter’s use of current slang with a total stranger. The child continued, “Are you just joking with me?”
“No,” I said, fumbling for the business card I keep in my pocket for occasions just like this. I showed her the card.
“Oh, my name is different…it’s spelled C-H-E-R-I.”
“I see. How old are you, Cheri?”
“Almost five. How old are you?” Mom heaved a deep sigh of embarrassment. I am a mother, and I have also been the mother of an equally precocious almost-five-year-old daughter. Nothing phases me.
“Older than that,” I admitted with a wink and a nod. As we finished drying our hands I asked, “Do you suppose it would be okay for me to bless you before we leave?”
With eyes wide again, she exclaimed, “Wow! Sure!”
Mom nodded as I looked her way to be sure it was okay to bless her child. And so, +Sherrie laid her hands on Cheri’s head and blessed her…and prayed for God’s continuing presence in her life…and for safe travel. Then we left…going our way separate ways with a smile and a wave good-bye.
As a clergyperson, I have many opportunities to bless people…to be an agent of grace transmitting God’s willingness to reach out and touch us, love us, and heal us wherever we are. Blessing people is always an awesome experience for me. Sometimes I am in a very formal setting like a church service…sometimes I am at the hospital…sometimes I’m visiting in the home of a shut-in…and sometimes I get the special privilege of delivering a memorable blessing to a precocious almost-five-year-old named Cheri…in the washroom at the tollway oasis…in Belvidere IL. The occasion never really matters because I find whenever I raise my hands to bless another, I can’t help but be blessed myself. As the blessing I want to impart flows through me to the recipient, I am also touched by the love of God that restores and heals.
Friends…all of us who follow Jesus Christ are called to bless others. Blessing is not an action reserved only for members of the clergy. Every opportunity to bless is a divine appointment for each of us to invite the presence and grace of God into the lives of others and the world. SPEAK blessing on your children…your spouse…your siblings…your parents…your friends! Even complete strangers can be blessed in public when they sneeze! You may be the one that reminds those around you that God truly is always present ready to bless them…and as you bless, you’ll get to keep a little of that transforming energy for yourself.
Peace!
+Sherrie Albrecht
