A Little More Sunday School, Perhaps?

Overheard on Easter morning:

"Whoa. Not only did I get a Bible, but this one's holy! I guess my other one wasn't so holy. What do you think this one has in it that the last one didn't?"

Impressive

Some Sundays, Checkered and I have a job at church. We did not volunteer for this job nor was I overjoyed when this job came our way, but we did say agree to help when we were asked. So once every month or so, we must arrive at church on Sunday an hour early to get everything ready.

We are bagel slicers.

It's a nice job, and our church seems to think it's necessary. The problem is that other people do our job before we even arrive and we do arrive on time, so we stand around and feel as though we're greatly in the way.We probably are. But time after time, we are asked to come back for slicing duty. And time after time, we go - only to pout about someone usurping our job.

The Lord is beginning to deal with me about my attitude. I am learning that willingness to serve is important. I am learning that graciousness is important. I am learning that humbleness is important.

Then there's this last thing I've learned. Because they slice before we arrive, we are the only ones on the team who have not cut a finger.

I suspect that the Lord still has a bit more work to do with me.

What if Starbucks Marketed Like the Church?

Some aspects of this video made me chuckle; some parts made me squirm. I do think I'm better for having seen it though.

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From Google:
If you're cross-eyed and have dyslexia can you read all right?

We Should Be Invited to More Weddings

Last Saturday night found us in the most beautiful church I have ever seen in the United States.  The Sweetest Heart of Mary church in Detroit, built in 1885, drew an involuntary gasp from me as we entered the doors for a wedding.  It didn't matter that the weather was miserable or that we were late or that the church was very chilly.  It didn't matter that the neighborhood is dangerous or that the echo from the speakers was so bad we couldn't understand what the pastor was saying.  It didn't matter that we sat in the back and couldn't see the bride and groom until the recessional.  What did matter was the immediate sense of God's presence in that glorious building.

Had I even thought to bring a camera, there is no doubt my photography could never capture that beauty of the church.  Here are some of the images from the web:

The history of the parish is equally as fascinating.  Organized by a renegade priest from Poland, the parish was home to 4000 families in the late 19th century. Saturday mornings were reserved for weddings with 10 couples being married at the same time.  The parish even had two militias, complete with uniforms.

There was constant trouble between the Archdiocese of Detroit and the church's pastor which led to his eventual removal and lawsuits and civil charges.  At one point, the parish was so deeply in debt from the construction of the church that it had to be sold.  The parishioners mortgaged their houses and were able to buy back the building.

I try to think about what it would have been like to be a Polish immigrant, living in a small house in what was already a dirty city.  Many worked in factories and were terribly homesick.  But they had their church, their magnificent church, where everyone spoke Polish and every aspect of Polish life and custom was honored.

But history is ever growing, and urban flight and miserable politics and governance decimated Detroit.  And there were many other Polish parishes in the city and the suburbs.  "The Heart" is now down to 100 families, and the neighborhood is typical inner city Detroit with crime and blight; however, the church is being restored and remains a positive force.

Were I a Roman Catholic or of Polish ancestry, I would be very tempted to join this parish.  As it was, one visit there just wasn't enough for me.

Today at Church

Bob Dutko is speaking at our church this morning. Never has a Christian apologist made so much sense to me. His show, Defending the Faith, is my afternoon and carpooling companion - much to the dismay of my kids. Today, Mr. Dutko is going to share his personal faith journey from his childhood spent in a cult to his job as press secretary for the Christian Coalition. He will also share the story of his teen-age daughter's unexpected death a few years ago and how that impacted his faith.

So why am I still sitting here typing knowing church begins in less than an hour??