Easter
Easter sand sculpture at baby beach in the harbor
It’s Easter Sunday today. My wife, foster son and I have plans to go to church at 11. It’s another early morning because I want to get a run in before my swim. Sundays are my favorite. I usually take a long run and a swim and it leaves me feeling pretty great afterwards. I’ve been nursing an old achilles injury the last couple months so my long Sunday runs have been abbreviated. However I’m pretty well on the mend now and I’m doing a 7.5 mile run today. My usual long run is 11 miles so I am getting close finally!
There he is Richard Henry Dana throwing the cattle hide over the cliff. Look at the pecks on that guy!
It’s a great run and pain free. I start at the Dana Strand parking lot, run to the Wind and Sea restaurant in Dana Point Harbor, then cover both ends of the island, run to the Ocean Institute and then up Cove Rd., through the alley that takes you to strands parking lot, head left to the end of the road at the headlands trailhead and back to the car.
South end of the harbor island looking towards San Clemente
I change into my swim trunks and head to the beach. Its probably about 58 degrees out and mostly sunny. The water feels a bit colder than usual on my feet. After I begin swimming, it feels about the same it has been the last few days: cold. Surfline has updated its water temps today to 59-60 which feels about right. I notice that I am cold and my body is doing some work to compensate but it is not a full biting cold. Its generally a nice swim. There is some bump in the water which seems to be the norm this week but it is not at all rough. The surf size is definitely down a notch the last couple days.
As the swim is coming to a close, I notice my thoughts becoming like tv static. This often happens in the latter stages of a cold swim. It’s an odd sensation and usually lasts until my core warms. I try to focus on the site and sensation of the water.
I make it home in good time for church. I have not been a regular church attendee for over 30 years. This year has been a sort of land mark year where my thinking has seriously shifted in how I relate to Jesus. You can check out a blog I recently wrote if you are curious about this 40 year journey I have been on. I’ve been attending a super low key and small group in Dana Point for the last several weeks that does not call itself a church and where I feel very comfortable. I don’t feel like I am being preached at and I really like that the meetings begin with a long period of silence. There is no band and no worship songs.
Today we are going to a more mainstreamish evangelical church. They start later and are more kid friendly so it is definitely better suited to a family, but I’m feeling a bit “on guard.” Like is this gonna be weird? Are they gonna lay down a bunch of agenda about how to think and act? Are they gonna get super literalistic about the bible? So we get there and people seem friendly and I notice two things that give me food for thought all day long. First, I’m obsessed with being judged by these people but I’m the one being all judgey. I’m not even judging these people but I’m judging the idea of these people. I don’t know them and chances are they are all doing their own thing and are pretty much oblivious to me. I’m the one super ready to hand out the verdict on who is being fake or obnoxious or if the general style of their service is gawdy or reverent.
Second thing I notice and this is way more impactful to me. I’m standing there thinking, “boy it feels more like a rock concert that a church service.” Then I close my eyes and I feel warmth wash over me. They are singing about Jesus. The details of the lyrics don’t even matter so much, but there is just a presence here that is invoking a strong emotional response within me of gratitude and feeling loved. I make an effort to remain in that place.