Visions of Paradise

It rained last Friday and I had a visit from God.

Late in my sleep cycle I dreamt I was in church. As I sat in the second pew from the front a person sitting next to me got up and interrupted the Rector during his sermon pleading to be confirmed. This sent the devil into the Rector.

He didn't yell. He didn't scream. He simply went on a tirade.

The new (or what I assumed to be new) topic of the sermon was about Sunday religiosity. His complaint was that people only want to do the various church ceremonies when it's convenient. They do this to say they have a relationship with God and feel better about themselves.

This dream was a portent of things to come. As I sat in the back of the church on Sunday (wide awake), the sermon began.

You see, last week was the annual St. John's Tiger Outing. At the end of May every year the congregation goes to a Detroit Tigers baseball game. (This is easily done, seeing as how the church is about 100 yards from Comerica Park.) Each year the church is packed on this day. It's like a religious holiday (see: Easter, Christmas).

The Rector began his sermon by pointing this fact out. The church was noticeably empty this week. He seemed to know that people would be gone. The disappointment was evident in his voice. However, he did make the present worshipers feel special by saying we were invited to the party being thrown by God (a.k.a. church).

To quote Genesis: Jesus, He knows me.