More water to wine

Yesterday, we racked the wine (transferred it from one carboy to another), got it off the sludge that is created during fermentation, added some stuff to help stop any further fermentation, and added more stuff that will help trap any "floaties" and will fall to the bottom and create another layer of sludge.

It's all rather symbolic, no? As we do things in our lives to further our spiritual growth, we become aware of the "sludge" in our lives. All the behaviours that make us less than who we might be. When we become aware of that "sludge," we have a choice to either eliminate it from our lives, or let it stay. Children are marvelous in this. They simply decide to eliminate it. As an adult, I find it more difficult. Do I really want to change who I am?

I used to complain that "born-again" Christians all seemed to come back as themselves, with very little change that I could see. They just quoted a lot of scripture, but seemed to lead the same debauched lives that they lead before being "born-again."

I see this process as an opportunity for me to be something different. As I identify the parts of my life that distance me from being the best I can be, I want to either modify those parts to allow my deeper spirituality or eliminate them. In doing so, my life as I have lived it previously must change. So what happens to my social network? What happens to my relationships with family and close friends? What happens to my primary relationship(s)? What happens to my goals? What happens to my previous plans for the future?

It is fascinating that some people see faith as a way to simplify their lives. They look to their religions for simple answers. I see that my faith journey is leading me through more complex questions and explorations. This seems like the opposite!

And, please let me be clear. I would have it no other way. I don't want my faith community to be easy. I want it to help me grow. I want it to be a place where the difficult questions can be examined. I want my faith community to be a place where I can live my beliefs.