Brianne's Blog - My Experiences as of Late...

When I began this Mass Chaos journey, I was very much looking forward to taking a year long sabbatical from St. James, and exploring what other churches the Archdiocese had to offer. I've always felt that the journey was my favorite part of life - the twists and turns, the changes.



Here we are, with 36 churches down, and 21 more to go, and I've started to get a little antsy. This year has been full of big transitions for me; 2010 saw me through a divorce, 2 moves, 2 new jobs, and a complete lack of continuity in any part of my life. I've found myself yearning lately for a home. I miss going to church and feeling like part of a community. I miss the involvement in a parish - music ministry, lectoring, etc. But even bigger than that, I miss stability. Not just in my faith life, but in every aspect of my life.



I have every intention of finishing my Mass Chaos commitment - it is important to me to finish what we've started - but I cannot wait to reach the "finish line" and start making a home. I've found so many parishes I'm fond of, but what they've all had in common was a great sense of community. I imagine that after Easter, 2011 will be full of me re-visiting some of those parishes to discover where I fit best, and what parish I can best serve in, and where I feel "at home". The anticipation excites me, and I pray God will guide me in the direction I'm meant to go.



What I'm focusing on now is my relationship with my Mass Chaos friends - I know that one of the hardest transitions is going to be when we reach church number 57, and we all (potentially) return to our home parishes or find parishes of our own. It has been such a good (and God) experience to share this adventure with such an amazing group of people. They've helped me grow my faith in God, and my faith in people. To imagine an end to these relationships is impossible; I know they will be in in my life indefinitely. However, these relationships will be another change...



This holiday season, I thank God for the gift of friendship, and I pray for the blessing of stability.



Happy Holidays to all my Mass Chaos friends and blessings to you during this Christmas season.