Somehow, I ended up thinking about church this weekend.  I haven’t attended a traditional church in years, and I’m quite satisfied with that- however this weekend, I found myself noticing that the places I was in, and the things I was doing, had some relation to that word.  It was really a banner weekend…

Church is beautiful- I spent Saturday morning climbing with a great friend at a small mixed ice and rock crag just south of Mt Hood.  Always a fun day out, and great workout hanging on my tools in preparation for my trip to Valdez, Alaska.

Church is beautiful.

Getting pious on my first mixed climbing lead ever.

There’s music in church- Saturday night I had the pleasure of playing cello with the Strangled Darlings.  It was our first gig, the space was a little noisy and we had trouble hearing each other, but we made it work and it was a great first show together.  Makes me excited for our upcoming gigs in California.

There's music in church (photo credit to Pat Clinton or Mark Clark).

There is salvation in church- Sunday morning I woke up and found myself reading “Church of the Big Ring“.  I don’t consider myself a bike racer- commuter, enthusiast, and active rider yes, but racer no.  Sunday morning however, the sun was shining and the pavement was dry.  There was a cold wind blowing down the gorge, and I knew it was time to race my bike.  As cycling is one of the few activities that doesn’t aggravate my foot, I was excited to push from my house up the Columbia Gorge, up Rocky Butte, and back through NE Portland.  It was some of the only time I had to myself for the weekend, and I didn’t hold back.  Even in a short ride, I can feel the recent work done in the gym paying off mostly in being able to climb out of the saddle for a much longer period of time.  When we push our bodies to the physical limit, we strip away the useless, the non-essential, and the act of stripping this away offers salvation.

(there isn’t a photo because I didn’t stop pushing until I got home and got off the bike)

There is charity in church- I spent Sunday afternoon in the office using my professional skills to support one of my personal passions.  The Commons is a project that I deeply believe in, and I feel lucky to call one of its creators one of my best friends.  Pulling together an envelope load for the building isn’t exactly fun, but it is necessary.  I’m excited to see this project take shape.

Charity is an opportunity- I feel lucky to have professional skills that can benefit a great project.

If you were a part of my weekend, you are a part of my congregation- thank you.