Lately I've started to acquaint going to church with ministry. Lower-cased "church," that is - the local congregation you're a member of. Upper-cased "Church" usually goes along with Catholics, the Pope, and generally speaking, the worldwide Body of Christ.
With the strict religious upbringing I had, going to church every Sunday has been something I've done at my parents' insistence. When I started going to college, though, and I was away from immediate family influences, I still attended church regularly, this time by my own choice.
A few weeks ago I discovered (esp. since I now had a license and a car) that it's really easy to skip going to church, because I "didn't feel like going." 'Sides that, it was going to be the same old people showing up, the same old worship songs, and the sermon would fall along the same line of thought that the pastor uses to put together his regular Sunday message. Or so I thought.
[hijack](There was a water baptism during the evening service and apparently my youth pastor fell into the spa they were using as a baptismal. I wish I could've seen that.)[/hijack]
People tell me that when we want to skip out on church, that's when we need to go to church the most. For some reason, I'm not really convinced of that. The local body of Christ serves many functions to the individual Christian, but sometimes the congregation doesn't always help the Christian who's struggling. It's not a matter of wearing the cheerful Sunday morning mask - it's more a matter of not being able to see past the good face someone puts on to see the problems beneath. I mean, honestly: what is the first thing someone you know from church asks you when you've been missing for the past few weeks? "Where've you been?" isn't a great way to convince that prodigal churchgoer that you've really been thinking about them.
Something else that's been on my mind about church is this: "congregation" and "church" are two different words. I like to think of the local congregation as an "ecclesia," an assembly. When I hear the word "church," I tend to think of a quaint building with a cross on the outside, maybe a steeple, and stained glass windows. And there's more to the Church than just a good ole church.
(Cross-posted on DYL)
Some people would accuse me of smiling too much.
When someone makes a comment, whether it's witty or not I nod and smile.
When someone smiles at me directly, I smile back.
Even when someone's a little grouchy, I tend to smile at them.
Scary, huh?
Kevin Holtsberry from Collected Miscellany wants to know: what kind of book person are you?
My answers are in italics.
1) What is your favorite type of bookstore?
A. A large chain that is well lit, stuffed full of books, and has a café.
B. A dark, rather dusty, used bookstore full of mysterious and vaguely organized books.
C. A local independent bookstore that has books by local authors and coffee.
2) What would excite you more?
A. A brand new book by your favorite author.
B. Finding a classic you've been wanting to read.
C. Receiving a free book from a friend in the mail.
3) What's your favorite format?
A. Novel
B. Short story
C. Poetry
4) Favorite format, part II.
A. Contemporary fiction.
B. Classic novels.
C. Genre (mystery, espionage, etc.)
5) Favorite format, part III (none of the above) Fiction or non?
A. Almost entirely fiction.
B. Almost entirely non-fiction.
C. A mix of both.
6) Does the design and condition of the book matter?
A. Yes, I love a well designed book and keep mine in mint condition.
B. No, the words are what matter.
C. Yes and no, I appreciate good design and treat my books with respect but I am not obsessive about it.
7) On average how many books do you read a month?
A. I am lucky to read one.
B. I am dedicated. I read 4 or 5.
C. I am a fiend. I read 10 or more!
8) Do you prefer to own or borrow?
A. There is a particular joy in owning a book. I have a large library.
B. Why spend money when you can read it for free? I use the public library.
C. Different tools for different job. I do both.
9) Where do you get (the majority) your book news?
A. Newspapers.
B. Magazines.
C. TV
D. Blogs.
10) Are books a professional obsession?
A. Yes, I work in the field (writer, reviewer, publisher, teacher, etc.).
B. No, I do it for fun.
C. Kinda, I write the occasional review but have a regular job outside of books.
You can answer here or at Kevin's blog.
Wil Wheaton passed along a great idea for those of you with Gmail invites: give them to soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
(Via Felis Legio)
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
(NIV)
Right now seems like a good time to be silent.
For us like any other fugitive,
Like the numberless flowers that cannot number
And all the beasts that need not remember,
It is to-day in which we live.
So may try to say Not Now,
So many have forgotten how
To say I Am, and would be
Lost, if they could, in history.
Bowing, in stance, with such old-world grace
To a proper flag in a proper place,
Muttering like ancients as they stump upstairs
Of Mine and His or Ours and Theirs.
Just as if time were what they used to will
When it was gifted with possession still,
Just as if they were wrong
In no more wishing to belong.
No wonder then so many die of grief,
So many are lonely as they die;
No one has yet believed or liked a lie,
Another time has other lives to live.
"Another Time"
W.H. Auden
Ray Charles passed away today.
I had to laugh when I read this story in the NYT today. (If the website requires a log-in, use "laexaminer/laexaminer.")
Republicans in the House of Representatives have quietly introduced a measure to make it easier for churches to support political candidates, just days after the Bush campaign came under fire from liberal groups for inviting church members to distribute campaign information at their houses of worship.My favorite quote, however, is this one: The Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the timing "simply reeks to high heaven, literally." Heh.Representative Bill Thomas of California, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, added the measure to a much larger bill, introduced in the committee on Friday, that centers on revising certain corporate taxes. The provision, called Safe Harbor for Churches, would allow religious organizations a limited number of violations of the existing rules against political endorsements without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status.
Some would probably ask why I find this funny, and it's because churches already do this. Can you say "subliminal messages"? Yeah, me too.
In a 117-page decision, the judge, Phyllis Hamilton, ruled that the law is unconstitutional in three ways. She said that it placed an undue burden on women seeking abortions, that its language was dangerously vague and that it lacked a required exception for medical actions needed to preserve the woman's health.
The decision was the first ruling on the merits of the law. Two other cases, in Nebraska and New York, are pending. All three judges had halted enforcement of the law while they conducted trials.
Rev. Sensing has additional commentary.
WARNING: Do not use this ruling to call for California to slide into the sea or something simply because people like Hamilton live here. That upsets me more than you probably realize, mkay?