Near the end of my spiritual direction program, one of my instructors said to me, “church will feel harder.” Gosh, this is true. It's not as satisfying as it once was. Or, to put it another way, most of my attachments to what I thought it was or should be, are dying. This is excruciatingly painful, and brings much grief. I'm grateful for the ones who stay and call us into watering a wasteland. For one day, it will be a garden.