Have You Ever Had a Friendship End and Wonder Why?

I attend a delightful little church of lost souls - those lost from other denominations. The call for money is pretty subtle; anyone can see what expenses there are plainly;divide it by the number in the congregation and get a good estimate of what to contribute.

Yet, this is the third organization. Organization one split before I joined about twelve years ago. I don't know why, but they met in two separate locations. Then I was on the board of trustees for this one; but I went traveling. When I returned, everything was in chaos and a new minister was hired. I waited until they settled their fray (something about the board and the previous minister) before I attended again.

Some people seem to disappear, and I learned they had a conflict. I think staying off the church board and just showing up on Sunday keeps me oblivious to any dissention.

There is a fee to attend church.

Abe F. March wrote:

There is a fee to attend church.

And it is rather steep.

I am not certain that God goes to church.

The talk on Sunday is always thought-provoking. The time spent in meditation is worthwhile. The people that attend are quite nice. It's a good social group of well-intentioned people who attend a church that encourages an open mind. It works for me.

DK,

I am so happy for you. Stay out of the politics and all should go very well. I love not knowing what is happening at my former church. I visit and that is perfect for me.

DK,

I'd love a church like that. I loved the church of my childhood.

Carol

There's a British poem about a woman waiting for her love to return from war. It has some excellent lines in it about the patterns of our lives helping us make sense of it all.

From the time I was born, church was a Sunday thing, through many different religious denominations. I didn't attend for about 15 years and then started up again as Catholic for the sake of a blended family where Catholicism was dominant.

The routine of Sunday having a purpose, a forced reflection time, a time to put my thoughts in a place of contemplation and gratitude, adds balance to my week.

It wouldn't matter if it was another day, another church, another place so long as it was repetitive in some way that provides the comfort of a pattern that helps me reach for a higher plane of living, some directions for centering my existence with purpose.

Many people find that in their daily lives anyway. I seem to need some structure, though not much.

One of my favorite books is The Little Prince by Antoine St. Exupery. In it the characters have a special day because the farmers have a celebration and are not hunting, giving freedom to the foxes. Sundays tend to be my special day when there are no particular demands or "shoulds" except for the choice to participate in a church service that I find meaningful.

Which reminds me - I am reading a short inspirational story, poem, etc. this Sunday. It can be about anything uplifting. For some reason all I can think of is "Do It Anyway" and someone already read that one... any recommendations?

DK,

You read Don Miguel Ruiz's Four Agreements. I remembered that as I read your request. I keep the book on my desk, so I picked it up. The fourth agreement, "Do Your Best," has much that follows the same concept. Near the beginning of that chapter, there is a parable about how to transcend suffering that I'll bet you remember:

Quote :

There was a man who wanted to transcend his suffering so he went to a Buddhist temple to find a Master to help him. He went to the Master and asked, "Master, if I meditate four hours a day, how long will it take me to transcend?"
The Master looked at him and said, "If you dedicate four hours a day, perhaps you will transcend in ten years."

Thinking he could do better the man then said, "Oh, Master, what if I meditated eight hours a day, how long would it take me to transcend?"

The Master looked at him and said, "If you meditate eight hours a day, perhaps you will transcend in twenty years."

"But why will it take me longer if I meditate more?" the man asked.

The Master replied, "You are not here to sacrifice your joy or your life. You are here to live, to be happy, and to love. If you can do your best in two hours of meditation, but you spend eight hours instead, you will only grow tired, miss the point, and you won't enjoy your life. Do your best, and perhaps you will learn that no matter how long you meditate, you can live, love, and be happy."

Thanks for reminding me of this little book. I should read from it more often.

Ann

Ann,


A beautiful thought and so true. Prescribed lengths of prayer and study seem counterproductive.

Reminds me of the slave owner whose slave was being beaten. When a sympathetic soul burst in on him and asked him to please put a stop to this, he replied, "Don't bother me, I am reading my Bible."