September reflection
This is my somewhat grumpy bulletin back page to begin September. One too many parents said their pre-teen had an activity on Sunday mornings.
I don’t know what a race car driver feels like, but I have flown often enough to know the feeling that when the brakes are released and the engines are fully revved up, you go from a standing stop to two-hundred-twenty kilometres per hour in the space of a few seconds.
That is what September feels like in the parish. All our groups and organizations begin meeting again; our attendance catches up (and, yes, our finances); events become more numerous and we settle in to the rhythm and routine of “normal.”
So...
...if the parish is important to you, make sure that Sunday mornings are a choice for you. I have raised three children, so I am aware of the stress that their activities can bring to bear on my choices. Sometimes we need to say to our children that what they want to do is not a good choice. Trust me, they will respect you more for standing up for something than simply accommodating every request that they make.
...there is a laziness about Sundays. The line goes like, “it’s the only day I have off, so I want to spend it with my family or doing things that are important to me.” Why can’t the parish community be a legitimate choice for you and your family? We’re asking for an hour, and promising eternity – not the other way around.
...I’d like there to be three books that are important to you. In no particular order they are (1) a Bible – it’s a good book and says a lot about how humanity relates to God. (2) your cheque book (or credit card statements) – the way you spend your money says a lot about who you are. (3) your calendar, because time is a gift from God, and if we do not cherish the gift, it has little value in our lives.
Today's weigh-in: 235 The diet seems to have taken a day or three off.
I don’t know what a race car driver feels like, but I have flown often enough to know the feeling that when the brakes are released and the engines are fully revved up, you go from a standing stop to two-hundred-twenty kilometres per hour in the space of a few seconds.
That is what September feels like in the parish. All our groups and organizations begin meeting again; our attendance catches up (and, yes, our finances); events become more numerous and we settle in to the rhythm and routine of “normal.”
So...
...if the parish is important to you, make sure that Sunday mornings are a choice for you. I have raised three children, so I am aware of the stress that their activities can bring to bear on my choices. Sometimes we need to say to our children that what they want to do is not a good choice. Trust me, they will respect you more for standing up for something than simply accommodating every request that they make.
...there is a laziness about Sundays. The line goes like, “it’s the only day I have off, so I want to spend it with my family or doing things that are important to me.” Why can’t the parish community be a legitimate choice for you and your family? We’re asking for an hour, and promising eternity – not the other way around.
...I’d like there to be three books that are important to you. In no particular order they are (1) a Bible – it’s a good book and says a lot about how humanity relates to God. (2) your cheque book (or credit card statements) – the way you spend your money says a lot about who you are. (3) your calendar, because time is a gift from God, and if we do not cherish the gift, it has little value in our lives.
Today's weigh-in: 235 The diet seems to have taken a day or three off.
posted by Eminence Grise @ 22:10
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