This sacred space, this “church” ~ deep within the cave and far beyond the reach of light, sound, and perceived threats ~ may be where they pondered the mysteries of birth, growing, procreating, dying and, perhaps, journeying back to the mystery from which they came. We are inheritors of their “churches”, and we also have versions of “rituals” to hand forward.
Last Sunday, some of us gathered in the cave known as the Congregational Church of Patchogue to participate in a relationship with our ancestors who gathered 60,000 years ago in their sacred space. We shook hands with them. We also shook hands with our spiritual ancestors who build our church 130 year ago and entrusted it to us. We prayed that your handprint will be laid upon ours, and that others will come to lay their handprint upon yours. May we do what is needed to keep our cave of awe, wonder, worship and joy open for generations to come.
Blessings upon you who shake hands with your ancestors. And blessings upon those not yet born who will someday enter this cave, call you their ancestor, and shake your hand across the threshold of time.
dwight lee wolter 