D.L.

 
Nervous? No, but I am excited about what will unfold this morning at both churches! That excitement may have woken me up at 4 a.m. I tried to sleep a bit longer but realised that trying was a waste of time.
At 5 a.m., I told my dog to get up. He was not very pleased. He looked at me with the expression my children have given me every time I wake them up for school. He was unhappy, but when I said, “Let’s go,” and put on my raincoat, he barked, knowing he would soon be outside.
I am writing this in Café la Casa, which is quite busy. I consider myself fortunate to have a table! Dogs are permitted here, and I brought Kazan here last week after a long walk. The coffee here reminds me of Hollie’s, the best coffee shop in County Down, which is sadly no longer open. It has the same atmosphere, and the coffee is as good as Hollie’s!
So, Kazan will be left alone for the whole morning, and I hope he does not become too lonely.
 
SECOND SUNDAY
Now, a week has passed, and today is my second Sunday in Dunfanaghy and Carrigart. Last Sunday, I could not finish writing this as two legendary friends came to join me for coffee and then went to Church together.
 
This last week has been busy, looking at the House my family will live in Ballynahinch. Our good neighbour Desi passed away, and we did not know it. Kazan ran up the garden, and I could see lots of people at the back of the garden. I sent my son Sam to get the dog, only for him to tell me that Kazan was sitting down as the coffin was carried from his home to the chapel. Desi was always good to Kazan as if my dog knew Desi was passing through.
 
I drove back to Donegal yesterday. Friday was busy visiting Desi’s wife and meeting with people I admire, like Tom. Then, I packed up the car. Cars… my son Samuel got a twenty-year-old Mazda convertible without rust. It’s a two-seater. He looks so good!
 
So, I am here in the best café in this part of the island of Ireland, Caffe Casa! The owner is Brazilian, and the coffee comes from Brazil, and I can taste the difference.
 
This is becoming a routine: I get up early, pray, read the Word, and then go through the notes and notices to prepare for a funeral that I will lead next Tuesday.
This is my first funeral in Ireland. I am used to officiating in Northern Ireland, so I am finding my way and asking many questions.
 
Today, I will lead the congregation in prayer, worship and preaching from God’s Word. The attendance was good last week, and I don’t know what it will be like in an hour. All I care about is that the Presence of God is there. When we call into him to bless our small but significant church gathering, I want us to experience the powerful Presence of His Spirit, so as I am writing these words, I am praying, “Come Holy Spirit, come over us and come over those who are reading these words and come over me”.
 
The coffee is amazing. I used to put sugar and milk in it. What was I thinking? I was not!
 
It is so peaceful here, and it is what I need. It is like a small house, where I am welcome to run away with my thoughts, and there is no one to stop me! The House, la casa, is a significant Word that is so common that we don’t think about its importance.
 
Casa is a universal term that invokes concepts of warmth, welcoming, security, and love, but sometimes, this is not the case! Sadly, I have seen and experienced the challenges everyone goes through at home in La Casa.
 
The Church is also called the House of God. Jesus lived, ministered, and ate in different homes, and each one, we see him relaxed, teaching, praying, having fun, and loving fellowship. Yet in his own House, he was rejected, and even though he got distraught, it was his household who, within God’s purposes, brought him to the cross.
 
This morning, I am not speaking about the House but about what kind of King God is. I hope that in the few minutes that I have, I may just flavour and experience His Presence as He is honoured through our worship as we declare him King.
 
This coffee shop is amazing. The music now is Brazilian pop. It is so different from anything else. It is a mixture of deep bossa nova, which means a new wave—a mixture of samba and jazz! I love the concept of New Waves!
 
We are about to find out about the kingdom of God and what it means for a community like Dunfanaghy and Carrigart.