convincing myself

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During this time of year - Lent, we add stuff at church. Worship services especially. And food. Lots of food. We have a tradition of a soup supper. We already have a Wednesday lunch. It's Wednesday p.m. and I'm trying to convince myself that I want soup.

I do not want soup.

Some of my feelings come from the fact that this is another fund-raiser. It's a free-will offering, but it's still to raise money. And I heard last night how disappointing it was that all the soup was eaten, and none could be sold as extra, because it's in selling the extra soup that the money is made, and the good-will is developed. People want to buy extra soup to take home.

There was no extra soup because we asked the kids from the after-school program to eat at the soup supper.

So. We say the soup is 'free' - just pay what you can or what you want to. But don't free-load with our soup. We want to make sure there is soup for our friends, and especially to sell to those friends.

One of my colleagues is wonderful. He is just tone-deaf to complaints - he just doesn't hear them. It's that wonderful, he says, all those people got fed. That there wasn't anything left over. Just like Jesus.

Now I may go for soup. I will pretend I do not see the grumpies. I will slide an extra 20 into the basket. No, I will give the 20 to the leader of the afterschool program.

Maybe I'll just free-load myself.

Are free-will offerings really our modern guilt offering?
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