Take Me To The Alley

This morning on the way home from practice, I caught the tail end of a radio show featuring Gregory Porter and this lovely song:

Well, they guild their houses
In preparation for the King
And the line the sidewalks
With every sort of shiny thing
They will be surprised
When they hear him say

Take me to the alley
Take me to the afflicted ones
Take me to the lonely ones
That somehow lost their ways

What a beautiful song. Apparently his mother insisted that the family live on skid row so that she could help people, and he got his start singing to the street folks. Eventually, he grew up and got famous and got to play for the queen, which led him to write this song.

This morning after practice and making my kids breakfast, I decided to squeeze in a trip to church. I don't feel super comfortable at church. I always take off the moment the service is over. During the service, I don't know if I believe what I'm saying (though I remember all the prayers from when I was young). I know that at some point during the hymns, I always cry. And I know that today I learned that the first Sunday of the month is when they offer healing prayers in the back of the church for anyone who wants them during communion:

Let them hear me say
I am your friend
Come to my table
Rest here in my garden
You will have a pardon

Take me to the alley
Take me to the afflicted ones
Take me to the lonely ones
That somehow lost their ways

Let me hear me say
I am your friend
Come to my table
Rest here in my garden
You will have a pardon
They will be surprised
When the hear him say

Take me the alley
Take me to the afflicted ones
Take me to the lonely ones that
Somehow lost their ways

So off I went, after communion, to the back of the church, to receive the prayer of healing. Crossing my fingers that it helps, and if nothing else, I know it is good practice for me to receive.

These lyrics of remind me of what I heard in church today:

Let them hear me say
I am your friend
Come to my table
Rest here in my garden
You will have a pardon
You will have a pardon
Take me to the alley
Take me to the afflicted ones
Take me, take me, take me