The twins and John and I put on a marionette show for church this week.  The story was from the book of Revelation, where the woman clothed with the sun gave birth to a son, and the Great Red Dragon tried to kill it. Hope and Aurelle held most of the strings, John read the story and played the guitar, while I tossed stars, and handed props. I did get to handle Michael, whose silver sword jabbed fiercely at the dragon's seven dastardly heads. 

The wind was blustery as we were setting up the stage outside under a canopy of trees. Silks are responsive to air, and it was hard to calm them down. I started hunting for rocks in the garden beds to use as weights, but the Cathedral grounds are pristine and there wasn't so much as a pebble. I asked the woman who came early to set up flowers if her grandson would like to look for rocks.

"Oh, I have a bag of rocks in my car. I'll get it."

Huh? 

Turns out she had done a project the week before with building tiny houses on rocks, and these were the leftovers. Providence strikes again. 

With the scenery in place, we were ready when the children and their parents arrived. Things went well, although when the Lord leaned over to put a reassuring hand on John's head- the puppet, not the grown up- his white robes flew behind him. Rather like Superman.  

John and I have been creating worship together for all of our married life. It feels like a partnership that keeps us focused. There have been mornings when we were at odds before the service began, but the process of singing, or creating the altar drew our attention upwards. 

Which is as it should be.