A starry-eyed bride

You'll forgive me if I seem a little starry-eyed these days. Or if I seem to take a little too long with the tweezers in front of the makeup mirror. I'm watching my calories and I'm doing my best to get a good night's sleep every night so that I can look my best every day.

Wives and little girls waiting to be brides know what I'm talking about. Whether a bride for 10 years, 20 years, 30 years or longer, we brides remember our wedding day, and the many preparations that preceded it.

Ours was a simple ceremony, requiring little more than borrowed best bib and tucker and a dependable vehicle to get us to the courthouse on time.

Nevertheless, once the day was set, I was busy. Not only did I spend a little more time with the tweezers, watch my calories and do my best to get a good night's sleep, there were bridal showers to attend and blood tests to pass. (In fact, the blood test required of both partners in Colorado in 1973 provided the only proof I needed that Danny really loved me and wanted to marry me. He has a dreadful fear of needles, but he dutifully submitted to the test.)

The night before the big day, I barely slept. (So much for looking my best.) A friend came and dressed my hair around a borrowed veil and I slipped into a lovely floor length formal, decorated with autumn leaves. Everything was ready and soon enough, we were wed, the judge intoning, "And what God has joined together, let not man put asunder," before allowing that first wedded kiss.

I'm a little starry-eyed again and it's all Jason VanPelt's fault. He, the associate pastor at McCook Christian Church, gave the final homily at the 2009 Community Lenten Service on April 3 and wove a spell that I hope will never be broken.

Each of the ministers that spoke this year addressed a parable of Jesus. There was the "Parable of the Sower" with the Rev. Dr. Jeff Thurman; the "Parable of the Rich Fool" with the Rev. Gary Brethour; the "Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus" with the Rev. Jon Albrecht; the "Parable of the Persistent Widow" with the Rev. Dr. Mary Hendricks; and the "Parable of the Unforgiving Servant" with the Rev. Doug Rohrer. Each speaker brought a new perspective to the familiar parables.

But, as I said, since April 3, I've been walking around with stars in my eyes.

There are some 40 parables recorded in the Gospels. Wise and foolish builders, new wine in old wineskins, hidden treasures, lost sheep, and so on. Anyone familiar with Scripture is familiar with them. While some bring comfort, others bring a feeling of discomfort, especially if they come too close to a personal truth, like the unfruitful fig tree, needing some special attention from the gardener. Anyone who has had to endure the Father's pruning shears knows what I'm talking about. Or those weeds representing the cares of this world choking off the growth of the good seed sown. Oh, yeah, that one still has some sting to it.

But the one about the 10 bridesmaids always bothered me, because I know it was no accident that it dealt specifically with women and I simply didn't get it. I couldn't figure out what was so important about those old lamps anyway. It was the middle of the night, for one thing, what did they expect? Also, I was taught to share from childhood on, so I always thought those wise virgins were a little stingy, truth be told.

Now the entire parable enchants me. Part of the enchantment is in the realization that Jesus spoke this one just for us girls. Among all world religions, only Christianity truly values women. ("There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28) Oh, I know, there are some stipulations in place, but they are not onerous. They are there because God created us male and female, each in his image, each with specific purposes, and when we mess with that order, the result is, to understate it, disorder. But leave that to another day. On this day, Jesus is speaking largely to the women present, including them and including a message readily understood by them.

Namely -- there's going to be a wedding and you have been chosen as a bride.

Jason spelled it out clearly, revealing all of the traditions of the day for the Jewish wedding, and as he spoke, the parable finally made sense to me. I'm a bride. There is a pure white gown, just my size, waiting for the day. And just as I spent a lot of time getting to know my husband, what he likes, what he doesn't like, and he, me, this is the time for me to get to know my Jesus. This bridegroom wants to be known by his bride. This bridegroom wants to know his bride. And this can only happen if we spend time together. In Scripture, in prayer, even in conversation throughout the day.

Because...

"In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:2, 3 (NIV)<\em>