Thursday, March 15, 2012

Busy

Preacher man had me watch a YouTube where a priest was talking about how they had cancelled all the activities in the church, cuz no one was showing up! People were just too busy to learn how to pray, see what Jesus had to say, or anything else for that matter. I find that very true, and I also find it very sad. Some churches have what they think is success during the week as they offer food and something for the kids to do, but how many of the parent's or for that matter, folks with no kids involved, are even there? If they are there, are they involved? 


Let me ask this question: Does your church have a men's ministry? If you say yes, do you know what it looks like? When we were in Durango, we had two men's groups. The United Methodist Men and The Promise Keepers. The UMM made a hot breakfast each week for themselves and chatted during the whole thing, but I don't know that they "did" any learning, just eating. The PK had cold cereal so they could spend the time going over a study that 1 or 2 main men always taught. They tried, but did they grow men stronger for Christ? Did they encourage each other to be courageous men for Jesus? I don't really know, cuz I really couldn't tell. 


Preacher man has tried to start a men's group for 2 years now. They don't eat, they just pick a book of the Bible and they read it and talk about it. There's no other book that they go off of, except the guys that can't think without the Bible commentaries. I think he's trying to show them that God can talk to you without anything but the Bible, and he can't get more than 12 at the most to come. You know the sad thing, when he goes, so will the group. 


People just don't and won't make time anymore. I had a Bible study when we first got here and 2 people showed up! I thought they would at least want to come see what this new Preacher's wife had to say... Nope! 


Someone has us so busy being busy that we don't really have time for God. We give him Sunday and isn't that enough?!! We have retirement to enjoy, and kids to raise and money to make and stuff to horde, you name it, we gotta make time for that before we make time for Jesus. 


This has been part of my road to the cross this Lent. I have been someone who has been very good at being too busy. Yet, I'm seeing that the more time I make for God, the more time I have. I'm sensing that the old way of doing things, were not so bad! A lot can be learned from the Desert Father's and Mother's, from the Saints and even from Wesley! You will never once see one of them EVER say something about getting busy! I dare you to look!


My heart hurts because we don't really understand Lent anymore, no one is teaching us about it! We read where we should deny ourselves, but no one is teaching what that looks like, so we give up sweets for 40 days. 


As I look out my window, I see the flower pedals from the Bartlett Pear tree falling like snow, I can almost sense Jesus crying in these pedals. He is weeping because we have forgotten Him. We have become to busy to even seek.   

3 comments:

Preacher man said...

OUCH

Unknown said...

The sadest (spelling?) thing I remember of our times in church when the girls were young was ALL the activities we attended but really, they didn't help me grow just kept us at the church. I reallyappreciate my quiet time I make to spend just talking (and sometimes ranting at) with God. Also I would not be where I am with God if it weren't for the weekly bible study's I attended for all those years.

Sorry people didn't come for yours.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kimberly,
As usual you are spot on accurate. At the start of my spiritual journey, I am reading about the Christian saints; St. Benedict right now. His beliefs & life reflect what you say. He believed love of Christ has to come before all else.
For Christ gave his life & died for our sins. That is the ultimate act of giving. We need to honor his act by loving him & finding our salvation from our sins through him.
That is what I have been praying & meditating on lately.
Keep up God's work!!
God Bless You
Geoff