Well, after five weeks on the road, coming back home is somehow bittersweet. Yes we both had time to relax and renew, but the reality that playtime is over is here.
Sunday, we lead the praise time we have here each summer. The stodgy folks here at SPC; you know the types they've been here since the church went up and nothing changes in my church, would not hold to do something like that during the normal worship service. So, we get 10 minutes prior to the normal worship time. What that means is that while we're up front singing Come, Now is the Time to Worship, people are walking in making small talk, and basically ignoring us up front. Luckily a few people join in the singing, and eventually the talkers get the idea.
Monday, I spent time working on the network to clean up a few things that occurred while I was on vacation, then Tuesday I changed the church announcement sign that has had the same thing since the middle of May. I had hoped someone would get the idea that maybe VBS should be advertised, but I did that today. At least someone had the forethought to change the worship time from the usual 11am to the summer hours of 9:30am.
Would be nice to have Air Conditioning, but that would call for a capital campaign, which would mean actually asking people to pledge.
FWIW .. I didn't begin this as a rant post, but it turned out that way. I think the reason was that I found out that someone who was the Deacon Moderator last year, and one of those stodgy folks I mentioned above, decided after her 3 years on the Board was over, to start attending a different church.
I won't go into what I think are the reasons, just that it seems like a temper tantrum, and she took her ball and went home.
I think that differentiates those who look at the church as a club, and those who look at the church as a group of believers who worship the Living God. Those who worship, work at making the church open to all who come through the door seeking Christ. Those who club, want to keep the church the way it is for themselves and their associates.
Amen to your last paragraph.
ReplyDeleteAnd small talk during gathering praise music and/or musical prelude is one of my pet peeves!
I'll be sending you an email re: your comment on my blog.
I'm actually in the process of writing about whether or not "church membership" is an irretrievably damaged concept.
ReplyDeleteI am a "member" of Sam's Club, BJ's, my homeowners' association, and my church.I need to show some sort of indicia of "membership" to get in to three of those four places ("places" being another indicia of problems) and many folks act as if I should have to pay my dues and get a membership card in the fourth.
I think when Paul used the word "member", he meant a part the loss of which would damage or destroy the "body." To day, it simply connotes a "right" to control someone or something.
Stay tuned.
Mac,
ReplyDeleteI think you got something there, and sadly, it often denotes a 'right' to rag on the pastor!!
R.C.