30/09/19 20:02
I am sitting in a local library today- thinking that I would get some quiet time work done. I happened to pick the day that the library was hosting “Star Wars Day” where all of the librarians dress up as Star Wars characters. So quiet time is not to happen. But in reflecting on it, that’s OK. It has been refreshing today to see a bunch of young people be excited about their library trip on a Saturday when they could be just hanging out watching TV or playing sports or whatever. I did overhear a conversation though that was a little disconcerting.
A mom was talking with another mom and wished her luck tomorrow at the football game and at the cheer competition. I thought that would be a busy weekend for that family but then I wondered whether or not they would be going to church that day. It made me think that sometimes our faith life is not a priority while other things are. But I cannot blame the children. That priority has not been instilled in them by their parents. So the question then becomes, why is faith not a priority for parents. What are we as an institutional church not doing to attract people to our doors. There are, I suspect a number of reasons all of which are too numerous and detailed to mention in a simple blog post. I have thought about these things before and probably will continue to think about them. But what is very apparent to me is that the Church, if it is to thrive cannot continue to do things the way we have been. That is not to say we need or should change our teachings, but maybe we need to rethink how we attract people to our doors to grapple with issues of faith and how we can attract people who might not even feel the need for faith.
04/09/19 16:19
I have taken to riding my bike on the forest preserve trails. One Sunday afternoon, to unwind from a long day at the parish and a very good dinner, I decided to hit the trails.
After I had finished my ride, I was pulling into the parking lot to stretch and there pulled up three cars full of young people and their children. Now as I mentioned this was Sunday, so I thought they, like me, would be taking advantage of the wonderful weather. Out they all came and the men started tossing a football around while the women and children were getting their spring jackets on to begin their walk on the trails.
All of a sudden the men started talking with one another and every sentence was laced with an expletive of one kind or another. Some sentences contained the “f” word in various forms. All of this was in earshot of the children.
I reminded myself, before I rushed to judgment that maybe these were not religious people, but then I thought, so what! I am a religious person and of all days to hear this, let alone model for your children this kind of behavior, I became enraged and left the forest preserve as fast as possible.
Has vulgar language and even disrespectful behavior become so commonplace, that there is nothing left of decency? I remember when I was small, you never swore- even the mention of the word “hell” would bring the wrath of my father and mother. They swore in the heat of the moment, but never used the “f” word in front of my sister and me.
I thought about confronting them but then thought the better of it, because you never know how people will react in this day and age. But also I thought, what good would it do?
That’s how I ended my Sunday- being snapped back to reality that not everyone believes in the risen Christ and what He died for and certainly not everyone believes in common decency and respect. I am afraid we have a long road ahead of us.
25/08/19 21:07
When I was about 12 years old, I was asked to substitute coach a little league team at the local park district. I remember thinking that I enjoyed the experience so much, that when the next baseball season started, I was going to volunteer to coach. And I did! That was the real beginning of my life working with children. It started out coaching baseball, being a day camp counselor, and leading a group of Cub Scouts. As I got older, I taught religious education, became very involved in Scouting, and even worked during the summer as a counselor. During this time I used the gifts God had given me to influence the lives of those who were younger than I was. I knew that was something that I wanted to do with the rest of my life.
When I became an adult, I continued to work with children on a professional basis as a computer teacher but I also had children of my own- a boy and a girl each brought up during different decades with different needs. After my daughter got married and gave birth to her children I have had the opportunity to be with them often.
As anyone who works with or has been around children knows, they can be as innocent as a flower and as exasperating as all get out. But they have brought a joy and love to my life that I know, deep within my soul that I could not have gotten anywhere else. That is why they continue to be a vital part of who I am as a human being.
Perhaps you can reflect on the children who have been influential in your life- your own and maybe others you have encountered. I’d be interested in hearing about some of those stories. I would suspect that all of the experiences we have had would be pretty common.
21/08/19 19:28
I am sitting in a local library today- thinking that I would get some quiet time work done. I happened to pick the day that the library was hosting “Star Wars Day” where all of the librarians dress up as Star Wars characters. So quiet time is not to happen. But in reflecting on it, that’s OK. It has been refreshing today to see a bunch of young people be excited about their library trip on a Saturday when they could be just hanging out watching TV or playing sports or whatever. I did overhear a conversation though that was a little disconcerting.
A mom was talking with another mom and wished her luck tomorrow at the football game and at the cheer competition. I thought that would be a busy weekend for that family but then I wondered whether or not they would be going to church that day. It made me think that sometimes our faith life is not a priority, while other things are. But I cannot blame the children. That priority has not been instilled in them by their parents. So the question then becomes, why is faith not a priority for parents. What are we as a Church not doing to attract people to our doors? There are, I suspect a number of reasons all of which are too numerous and detailed to mention in a simple blog post.
I have thought about these things before and probably will continue to think about them and certainly write about them. But what is very apparent to me is that the Church, if it is to thrive cannot continue to do things the way we have been. That is not to say we need or should change our teachings or doctrines, but maybe we need to rethink how we attract people to our doors. All people grapple with issues of faith and how we can attract people who might not even feel the need for faith? These are all complicated issues that many have written and spoken about. I certainly plan on adding my voice to the many in the months to come.