Be a light before me; be a guiding star above;
Jesu, may I always know thee, may I always know thy love...
Be a kindly shepherd for me, keep me safe thru' all my days...
- from "A Scottish Blessing"

This weekend’s edition of the ongoing “Rebekah & Derek go to church” series hit a positive and tender note with me.

We drove over to First Presbyterian in Rocky Mount – partly because my heart felt too fragile to walk down the street and into all the love we know at HMPC, and partly because we wanted to meet and to welcome their new co-pastors, Ally Pexa and Jacob Kennedy.

It was a good morning. We were warmly greeted by a number of different people, the organist offered a stirring prelude that both vibrated and lifted us before even the announcements, and the sanctuary resonated with a buzz of anticipation, telling the story of new life and hope and promise and leadership, and the unmistakable presence of the Spirit.

Jacob and Ally are both young and enthusiastic as well as deeply connected in their faith. Along with their passion for Jesus they also demonstrate a sense of spiritual maturity and a clear grounding in the reformed tradition. I especially enjoyed Ally’s explanation of how “passing the peace” is a natural extension of confession and forgiveness, preparing us to take God’s peace with us and offer it into the world.

Jacob’s message on Covenant was solid and engaging, the liturgy was thoughtfully selected and the prayers were on point.

My fragile heart:

What touched me most, however, was the choir’s prayerful rendition of “A Scottish Blessing” (Blackwell). I will sample it from the video and post it here.

Music is absolutely the language of the heart, and when it involves the emotive lyrical stylings of a Celtic ballad, featuring tight harmonies and a melody that evokes the Highlands and Islands, it is a short distance between my ears and my soul and my eyes fill up.

Somehow that particular blessing captured the yearning – my deep yearning – for real and meaningful peace in the hearts and the lives of those we love, along with the knowledge that people have to make their own choices and so I pray for grace and I pray for humility and I pray for wisdom and I pray for courage.

In short, I pray. And there is no better place than church for that – DEREK