"Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day."

"Melt the clouds of sin and sadness, Drive the dark of doubt away; Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day." (Henry van Dyke, 1907) Speaking of "ah-ha's", finding in these words from the first verse of the hymn, "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee", the reason I seek God. When I participate in worship, this is what I'm after. When I sit in a Sunday School Class,  I want something other than a theory, other than a clever theological discourse, other than an answer regurgitated from the digestion of old seminary classes. I'm after melting and driving and filling. I'm after experiences of "immortal gladness". Is that too much to ask?

We took this photo on our recent sailing trip on the Florida Gulf coast. And when I look at it, this is what my clouds of sin and sadness and the dark of doubt look like. In the midst of them is the light that colors everything. How do you see that light on an ordinary Sabbath Day? Someone has to let you speak of the clouds, of the dark, of sin and sadness, of doubt; and behind doubt, fear, loneliness, hopelessness, you name it. Someone has to say, "I will listen." I seek God to listen to me. So I need the one who represents God, whose place may be called preacher, pastor, vicar, rector, rabbi, priest, to listen me, to us, as we describe the clouds, the dark. One story may be enough to melt the clouds, drive away the dark. One story may be enough to fill with light and even a wee bit of immortal gladness. We who gather before God need and desire nothing less than these miracles. Is that too much to ask?