If God sneezes in a church, and there's nobody around to hear, does it make a sound? Or more to the point: if I have a worship service and no one shows up ... do I still get paid?
It was to be a quiet Advent evening service where people could find refuge from the chaos, commercialism and artificial joy of the season. Because pain and sorrow can be especially acute if the whole world is chipper and cheerful. It was going to be the best service ever.
The weather was bad and roads were dangerous, with the promise of worse to come tonight. So I don't begrudge everyone's absence. I did tell the organist not to try coming in if it looked bad. It looked bad.
I'm just glad that I adapted another resource for the occasion, that I didn't create one from scratch. Although the time I spent working up the liturgy, making a last-minute run for more tea lights, shovelling the church walkways, running off bulletins and searching for my suit pants button could have been used for serving my totally selfish needs. Like napping.
Alone in the church, I was strongly tempted to strip down and prance around like Homer in Homega Man or David in 2 Samuel. I figured that would be the moment someone rushed in looking for sanctuary. Discretion is the better part of valour.
Now that I'm home, valour is not what I'm seeking. "War! huh yeah What is it good for? Absolutely nothing..."
It was to be a quiet Advent evening service where people could find refuge from the chaos, commercialism and artificial joy of the season. Because pain and sorrow can be especially acute if the whole world is chipper and cheerful. It was going to be the best service ever.
The weather was bad and roads were dangerous, with the promise of worse to come tonight. So I don't begrudge everyone's absence. I did tell the organist not to try coming in if it looked bad. It looked bad.
I'm just glad that I adapted another resource for the occasion, that I didn't create one from scratch. Although the time I spent working up the liturgy, making a last-minute run for more tea lights, shovelling the church walkways, running off bulletins and searching for my suit pants button could have been used for serving my totally selfish needs. Like napping.
Alone in the church, I was strongly tempted to strip down and prance around like Homer in Homega Man or David in 2 Samuel. I figured that would be the moment someone rushed in looking for sanctuary. Discretion is the better part of valour.
Now that I'm home, valour is not what I'm seeking. "War! huh yeah What is it good for? Absolutely nothing..."
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