patterns of work

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One pattern of work I want to establish is spending Thursday morning reflecting on the texts for Sunday. In an ideal world this would be done a lot earlier - like Monday morning, but my Mondays - I work on Monday - seem to be the day for all the little office and program duties. And I've found it peaceful at home in the Mornings. So Monday I look at the texts, and pray them, then leave them.

There is a pericope study that meets on Thursdays to look at the texts for the following week. I have mixed feelings about this. I was invited when I came back to work in this area, and went off one day to find the study, which meets at a coffee shop. No one was there. Turns out they were all at another meeting. The second time I went only one other person showed up and she wasn't preaching that week and so we had a nice talk, but . . .

Shouldn't be too quick to write this group off, however, because I do feel I need additional support.

Introversion - too much of a good thing.

Working with the lessons for All Saints - I have a strong leaning that comes with reading the Beatitudes - that they are axioms for community living - not just individual categories. But, since this lesson has appeared earlier this year, I went in that direction. And it is the day of All Saints - an interesting moment of balancing the individual life of sanctification and the community of worship (the community at worship)

I'm preaching at bi-polar church this week. Very traditional, very contemp. One set of folks has a firm sense that tradition is what they like, what the church is really about. The other set of folks rejects on principle anything 'old', 'traditional', 'liturgical'. American church history, all in one building.

Upon reflection, both sets of folks have 'loose ties', however. Among the traditional set, except for the various family units and some old friendships, connections are distant, the anonymity of the large group - it's actually seen as a positive. On the contemporary side, one pastoral concern has been lack of welcome for visitors and newcomers - it's very haphazard because the 'regulars' turn to each other.

Is there a teaching in these lessons about 'ties' - about the balance between individual and group, about inclusion in the company of the saints, about common purpose (praising God) leading to deliberate welcoming?

I return to that basic question that has been with me for months now. What is the church? What does it mean to be 'part' of it? Is what we are today anything close to what God desires? Is what we have today healthy? Can it be saved?

Praying away
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