That Which is Worthwhile

“I believe . . . that our humanity, the 'who we are,' is often laid bare and expressed in the inconvenient actions and time-consuming pursuits we undertake.” – Barry Mano, Publisher, Referee Magazine

I receive Referee Magazine every month, and every month it includes a Publisher's Memo. Think of this as the Rector's Ramblings for the officiating world. And, more often than not, he usually writes about something that can be applied equally to both officiating and the Church.

As I read this particular Memo, I was again struck by the similarities between the two.

Our lives, it seems, are driven by convenience. We run to the store in our cars to pick up a box of butter that we forgot when we were grocery shopping. If dinner can't be made in a crock pot on most weekdays, we scrounge through the refrigerator to find enough stuff we classify as a meal. Microwaves are the most used appliance in the kitchen. We get our news in headlines because it's not convenient to read the whole article.

A lot of this push for convenience comes into play because we seem to be more busy than we ever were and we just don't seem to have the time to take the time.

In his Memo, Mr. Mano refers to things such as carving wood, making repairs to cars or appliances, taking a long hike, and such. These are things, he says, that take time and offer a sense of satisfaction.

Which brings me back to church. Attending church is not convenient. It requires a person to get up early on their day off and commit to being in a place at a particular time that takes time and may offer a sense of satisfaction or fulfillment or completion or whatever word you find descriptive.

Committing to worshiping God takes time and is certainly not easy in this convenience-driven world. Committing to daily prayer can be difficult and also takes time. But like anything worthwhile – a friendship, a marriage, a hobby – these are not things of convenience. These things are difficult, but also an essential part of our being.

May you make the time to do that which is difficult, and may your soul be fed by doing so.

Blessings,

Todd+