Engaged!!

Bruce and I are engaged!!

Early in January of last year Bruce and I re-met at Lancaster Theological Seminary at a Justice Summit hosted by Leadership Now.  We spent the weekend talking with youth about issues of social justice and worshiping in a variety of ways, including Taize style, Bruce's favorite way to worship.  For the past year and a half worshipping together has been a big part of our relationship.  We've worshipped at my college chapel, both of our home churches, and church-shopped until we finally started to put roots at Pilgrimage United Church of Christ in Marietta, Georgia.

On Friday after work Bruce and I headed north to the church where the youth were participating in a 30-Hour famine.  They were going to be participating in a Taize worship that night before checking into the makeshift homeless shelter for the night.  Because Bruce has been to Taize, France twice, he set up the sanctuary for the service and then explained to the youth what they should expect.  We worshiped together and then walked out of the sanctuary in silence.  Bruce walked back into the sanctuary and then came back out and told one of the youth leaders that the associate pastor, Kristin, wanted her to take pictures of the sanctuary.  Heidi walked into the sanctuary to take pictures and then Bruce asked me to go into the sanctuary with him to help take down the set up.  He took my hand and walked me through the sanctuary and to the altar.  When we got to the altar we stood in front of the lit candles that were spread out and the two crosses, one made of lit candles and the one big wooden cross.  Kristin was playing the Taize worship song "El Senyor," which in English is "In the Lord."  Bruce looked at me and said "Sarah, I have a question for you."  And I knew that's how he wanted to ask me, but couldn't believe it was actually happening, so I gasped and kept saying "No you're not, no you're not" and then I looked down and pulled the ring out of his pocket and said "You know, this whole thing started in a church ..."  From there it's a little blurry but Bruce told me that he asked me what hand it was supposed to go on and I put out my left hand

and he put the ring on my finger and I just kind of buried my head in his shoulder.  At that point the youth leaders that were still in the sanctuary realized what happened and Heidi tried to get pictures of us and Kristin stopped playing the piano to look at the ring.  Then we went out into the narthex to tell the youth what happened, who were really excited.  We left the church shortly after and I called my family on the way home, who had been warned/asked ahead of time and were anxiously awaiting my call.  We stopped at home (it was midnight at this point) and then drove downtown to Cafe Intermezzo, a fun restaurant that is open until all hours of the night and has an amazing dessert spread.

I got to spend Saturday morning and afternoon with the youth again as they worked on a mission project and broke their fast at 1 p.m.  Bruce and I went out to celebrate with Tim and Elisabeth that night (although we didn't tell them until we got to their house!!) and then were back at church on Sunday morning where everyone was really excited for us.

It's been a crazy couple of days, but absolutely amazing.  We've already started talking through some of the wedding plans.  We haven't set a date, but we know we want it to be next summer and we're going to try to keep it as simple as possible (famous last words).

This is such a special time in our life together - and I am blessed to be planning to be in covenant with such a wonderful person!!

With Grace,

Sarah

In the Lord

In the Lord I'll be ever thankful,

in the Lord I will rejoice!

Look to God, do not be afraid;

lift up your voices, the Lord is near;

lift up your voices, the Lord is near.