To Be or Not To Be ...

o Be or Not To Be ... not To do or Ta Da.  Life and mission trips are all about being.  Being with God.  Being with people.  Being in the moment.  Being in the community and culture around me.  Being real.  I frequently find that a challenge, coming from a daily world that encourages "to do" rather than "to be".
     At home I have a "to do" list on my computer.  (I can still access it now, but I don't need it.  Yippee!)  I have a "to do" list in meetings.  I have a "to do" list at home.  And when I finish my "to do's"  I celebrate with "ta da's!"  My middle class world is build on accomplishment and my ancient-future faith is founded on "to be",  being in the moment, who and what God asks.  And it never fails to surprise me how well "to be" works, when I let it.
      Last night we practiced "being" as a team with dinner and no agenda, but conversation and being together.  Today we'll practice "being."  as we visit a United Methodist Church that celebrates and worships from another cultural perspective.  (Southern, African American, protestant, rural...)  And we'll have fun just being with them and in the moment.

      God said "seek my Kingdom first and all else will fall into place"  (My paraphrase of Mt. 6:33)  And it works!  I wonder what "to do's" I'm carrying around inside my head and heart that keep me from enjoying the gift of being today.  Maybe that's part of the mission.  How about you?  What's on your "to be" list today?