In our community, people often engage in the brutality of an hour-long commute, each way. Further, it is not uncommon for these same people to work a 10 hr day. If the average person leaves for work at 7:00 AM, slugs his way through traffic to get there to by 8:00, works their 10 hr day, gets back in the car, battles traffic for another hour. If my math is right, that puts the average person back home at 7:00 PM.
Eat dinner, read the mail, make a phone call, catch up with the kids and put them to bed, it is getting close to 9:00 PM. What if the kids, have practice, or school project or both?
15 minutes to reconnect with their spouse and collapse into bed only to get up and do it all over again.
We desire deeply to help people, find, engage in and become part of a community of faith. Where and When in the schedule I just described, would that be possible?
Let me add this into the mix…In my opinion, real ministry; real life change; real growth; only happens in the context of authentic relationships. Authentic relationships do not spontaneously erupt out of once-a-week program oriented services. The only thing, our over-scheduled, suburbanites respond to though, is program. Alas, they don’t have time for another program.
In my opinion, the greatest need in our community is time. There is a time famine. As the church, we supposed to reach out to those in need. How do we undo the perceived need and desire for program with an understanding of the real need for community?
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my reflections, ramblings, and somewhat deep thoughts
