Some thoughts on church . . . (Shelly)

-
My preparation for this trip included hiking ALONE at Cooper's Rock State Forest, the Profile Trail at Grandfather Mountain, Montreat Conference center  trails, and the Urban Wilderness Trail in Knoxville, Tennessee .  It was part of the spiritual discipline of the sabbatical -- time of silence, listening, and waiting.  I can say three days into walking as a family -- IT IS A LOT EASIER TO WALK ALONE.  Today made me think a lot about the church.  It is not only a discipline to spend time alone listening and waiting for God, but it is also a spiritual discipline to conform your ways to a community.  When I walked alone, it was my pace, my desires, and my needs met.  I did not worry about schedules, the pains of others, or the personal needs of anyone else.  I could walk 12.5 miles with 1000 foot elevation change in 4.5 hours.  As we walk together (young and not as young ;) ) . . . well, we have not seen a 4-hour hike day. This pilgrimage walk in the community of a family is a lot like the church, and that God calls us not only to solitude but also to life together.   We have to learn to attend to others and work with others to accomplish a goal -- even when we are tired, hungry, frustrated, etc.  

Expectations and pace -- it is safe to assume that the daily meltdowns we keep having arrive when we are not meeting one persons' expectations about pace.  Often it is faster and easier to do things ourselves or to leave someone behind to get to where we want to be.  Working in community requires us to consider the needs and wants of others.  To slow down.  To not just bull through and get things done efficiently. 

Expectations and plans --  I had plans for how this was going to go -- reading Luke and James each day.  Then there has been reality -- it has taken a long time to walk and the calculations for distance are shorter than what we have actually walked.  Between being exhausted, needing to eat, and completing homework -- the image of reading the gospel and epistle each day has not been reality.  How often is that the church and life in the community of faith -- great plans, great hopes, and then reality -- it is harder to get everyone on the same page.  Something takes a lot longer to implement.  How do we continue to have patience when things aren't going the way we want?  What is God saying?

And a little child shall lead them -- we let the youngest set the pace at times today.  For some, that is frustrating.  It is not fast enough; we will never get where we need to be.  But what can we learn by slowing down, watching, and listening to those who take the longest in the community?  What can we learn if we let those who don't move and think like we do set the pace for the church?  What if we slowed down?

Bear one another's burdens -- when you're diagnosed with scarlet fever just a few days before leaving for a 74+ mile hike, your parents will carry your back pack whenever you ask.   Even when you're 12, your parents will carry your back pack.  Part of living and moving in community is helping each other out and carry loads for one another when they get too heavy.

Don't be proud, take the help, call the rest -- our children don't fall far from the parental tree of pride.  No one will call the break.  No one will be the first to use an umbrella.  We have much to learn about humility and hospitality -- willingness to receive help and refuge to be the receiver and not always the giver. 

Patience -- WHAT DO WE WANT?   PATIENCE?  WHEN DO WE WANT IT?  NOW! Oh wait. . . This is all about waiting and attending.  Things don't happen at the pace we expect.  

Popular posts from this blog

Getting here/Shelly

-
Image
So our original plans had us starting the trip a week ago on Wed. March 21.  A couple of days before, Chet came home and mentioned concerns about the weather.  I had been so busy packing that I had missed the memo that another Nor'easter was on the way.  We made calls Monday and Tuesday trying to rebook the flights.  At that time, our airlines were not rebooking for free and the change fees were more than our tickets.  After lunch on Tuesday, the first of our airlines (PIT-BOS) cancelled our Wednesday flight.  The second (BOS-LSB-VGO) had not been cancelled by the other airline.  So, we in all hope and ignorance thought that flight was still a go.  About 6 pm on Tuesday, we drove into the storm to get to Boston so we would not miss our flights from Boston to Spain.  Only at 4 am on Wednesday morning did that flight get cancelled after we valiantly drove all the way to Danbury, CT to get to our flights in time.  Because of the weather, th...
Read more

Hiking with whippersnappers

-
Image
We had a momentous first two days on the Camino. In true Parsons fashion, the mileage was high because, you know, we needed a challenge! The first day, instead of just doing what the guidebook said and starting in Tui, where our hotel was, and the traditional start of this leg of the Camino, we decided to backtrack to Valenca, across the border in Portugal, because it would be cooler if we would say we went from Portugal into Spain. So that added something like three miles to our trip. In total, the first day was around 16 miles. Day two was like day one, but wet. We tried to get up and go, and pretty much were able to do it, cramming breakfast in and enjoying a hot cafe and pastries as we thought about the days plan. From O Porrino to Arcade ended up being close to 15 miles, and we did most of it in the rain. Long days, back to back.  If all this seems pretty bleak, it was intentional. Imagine the worst day in the rain and then think about taking your kids. This is wh...
Read more