I was meeting with one of my spiritual disciplines groups today. One of the women in the group talked about a friend of hers who says her goal is "to get back to church." But that goal is being frustrated by the shape and texture of her life. She works all week, runs on Saturday, has her in-laws for dinner every Sunday -- which leaves Sunday morning for "family time." She says that if she does manage to wrestle her kids into their Sunday clothes and get to church in one piece, they go off to Sunday School and she sits in worship by herself.
A very common refrain. And I've found that lectures about "getting your priorities straight" are singularly unhelpful for someone in this predicament. (Although, like all of us, I think she needs to do some work on getting her priorities straight!)
This woman is longing for a "sabbath" -- a time away from work and obligation to be refreshed and to enjoy the company of her family. She's "open" to returning to a worshiping community, but can't get beyond seeing church as one more participant in the conspiracy to withhold this refreshment. What do we tell her?
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3 comments:
Saturday night?
I'm thinking about so many of the first Christians in Acts, who were from the lower classes, or even slaves, and had no days off, and could only meet for worship after sundown.
instead of saying "please come, you have so much to offer" (translation: there is so much we can take from you) how about "Please come , there is so much the church can offer you"
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