Some of you may know that I love doorways. I take a zillion pictures of them whenever I travel. I use them in art pieces and have preached whole sermons about them. Doorways, for me, represent comings and goings, thresholds, transitions, opportunities, significance and home. I pay attention at the doorway. It is a space where important words are spoken, of welcome and of goodbyes. In my experience, some of my most significant conversations have taken place in the doorway. After having spent time together with friends, in the doorway they tell me what has really been on the hearts the whole time. I've learned of cancer diagnosis, marital challenges, conflicts with family members, ponderings about vocation, call to ministry, and spiritual doubts. Perhaps because there is a way of escape, people feel free to be honest. Or maybe they know that they can share quickly and won't feel uncomfortable for too long. The doorway is the in-between, the sacred space of holy presence. We do well to savor these moments, linger there and pay attention to God's leading in them.  Many times we rush through the doorways, not remembering from where we come from or where we are headed. We might be afraid to feel the impact of the passing. The reflection may force us to do something different, to take a risk, to let go, to move on. Doorways can mean endings, but they also signify beginnings.  Jesus had a significant doorway conversation with his followers right before he ascended into the heavens. He reminded them that he was leaving, that they had a mission or purpose ahead of them, but that he would be with them always, even to the end of the earth. He used this doorway conversation to bless them, to give them confidence and to remind them that they wouldn't walk on alone.