Last Sunday in Austin

Yesterday was my final Sunday in Austin. I'm going to my parents' house next weekend and then I fly out on Tuesday. A week from tomorrow. So soon!

Yesterday I did many things, including going to Church twice. I went to the morning service to make a final announcement about my trip but found out that we don't do announcements during Lent. So instead I left and went with my friends to Dim Sum. Dim Sum is one of my favorite meals. After that I took a nap and then headed back to Church for my service. I go the six o'clock service at St. James'. It is such a relaxed wonderful service. I feel at home there. They also sent me off with a prayer of traveling mercies. I teared up a little in the service as I realized that would be my last six o'clock service for some time. I am going to miss that place a lot. After the service I got tacos with a couple of my friends. I am going to miss my friends there too.

The sermon at church was about suffering. Suffering is a topic that is hard to talk about. It is hard to talk about because it is hard to live through. However, the priest made a great point in his sermon that suffering is a part of our human condition. We cannot choose not to suffer. We cannot live our lives in such a way as to avoid suffering. We suffer. However, we have Jesus in those moments and hours and years of suffering. We have the hope and knowledge of a love greater than ourselves.

A note about my post from yesterday. I used the New Jerusalem Bible for the first half of the post. Then I went home and finished the second half; my Bible is NRSV. So that is why the translations are a bit different. I also want to say that I only put down what I think; I didn't use any books or any references.