Who says being a "Doubter" is all Bad?

Why do people put down doubters? Doubting has gotten a bad name. Poor Doubting Thomas, the one disciple (according to the gospel writers) who actually admitted that unless he saw Jesus himself, he would not believe in the resurrection. I think he's more like humanity than most people want to admit.
It's interesting to me that the writers don't note or emphasize that the others don't really believe until they see him, yet the scriptures do say that. Yet, poor Thomas is the one with that nickname for all time.
I think most of us would have a hard time believing someone we knew who had died had returned to life. We would probably suggest serious counseling for those friends who told us that they had seen him/her. We would wonder what they had been smoking or drinking. Yet, Thomas gets heat for voicing these thoughts.
On the flip side, Jesus doesn't entirely chide and chastise him for this unbelief, saying that those who believe without seeing are even more blessed. So, maybe since none of us can hope to have seen him immediately post-resurrection, we are those who are even more blessed. Not sure.
I wish people would realize that doubt is a normal part of faith. Not questioning anything leads to not growing. It's kind of a disabling, because it is through questioning that a person's faith grows stronger and deeper, as that person realizes the true wonders of God. I encourage everybody I know to have some moments of doubt.
Self-doubt isn't bad, either, as long as one doesn't get mired in it. It's good not to be so cocky that you believe you can't ever fail. Self-doubt and humility are closely related. The problem comes when self-doubt controls a person to the extend that he/she can't go any further. Then there is a problem. Until then, it is a helpful quirk.

What's Wrong with the Church Today?

That's the question everybody is asking, and nobody is answering definitively. What is wrong with the church? How come some churches have lots of people, and others have very few? How come the older members think they're being shut out, while the younger members think they're the ones being shut out? How can EVERYBODY be shut out? If they all are out, then who's in???

I wish there were better guidance on how to get people to come to church. It's tiresome to hear the same old complaints-- like how better music would draw people in, or like how the time of the service keeps people away. It's all bunk. I think the real reason people don't come is different for each person or family. None are really valid to keep people from worshiping God, but perhaps Bonhoeffer was right and the church has moved toward becoming a religionless church, so that less emphasis is put on corporate worship, and more on simply personal relationships with God. I don't know. Even that theory doesn't answer why some churches are growing.

Our church gets its share of visitors each year, but can't seem to retain the majority as regular attendees. Why? I'm not sure. Maybe it's too small. Maybe the people are too cliquy. Maybe I'm not what they need, or the people in the congregation aren't the right fit, or there aren't the programs that address their needs. Maybe it really is the music-- but if traditional music isn't one's thing, they can come to the praise service and enjoy MTV-like music.

Where are the kids attending? Many people think it's instant gratification that youth crave. They say it's videos, games, not really a desire to be in communion with God. I don't think that's true. I think perhaps most youth have too much on their plates-- work, sports, homework, family obligations, etc-- and squeezing in church becomes difficult for them. It shouldn't be that way, true, but it is. Maybe they get their religion from KLOVE. Maybe they get it from a podcast, or other internet outreach. Maybe they get it from television, though I doubt it. The point is they are not in most churches, just a few. Why?

Blech. Grrr. Boo. Hiss.

I am in a funk. I don't want to preach tomorrow. Heck, I don't even want to darken the doors of my church tomorrow. I don't feel even nice toward the folks there today. No particular event has tainted my mood today-- it's been coming for the last week or so. I just don't feel like being nice, or sweet, or listening to others' problems, or anything else that is expected of me. I don't even feel like smiling, or getting out of bed. So, what to do. I have no idea. I guess I just go on, because after all it's what I get paid to do, as my hubby reminded me so sweetly.
If I could, I would walk in, tell all the people there what I really think about them and their lack of nice-ness, and leave. I even fantacize about them finding out they have to merge with some church that views them as the un-wanted step-sibling, and how certain individuals would be so crushed. And then I would say, "I told you so." But alas, it won't happen that way-- won't even probably have negative rammifications for them, no matter how mean and back-stabbing they are. I'm the one who will get the poop in the face, I'm sure. Because that's just how life works.

New Title!

You'll Notice I have changed my title. No reason, really. But I got tired of trying to find it among other "My thoughts" POSTS. So, Here, I am. Nobody will read this, anyway. But I can write without worrying. I am challenged. Anyone who reads this with advice is welcome. I have a teen daughter who has always been popular, and done the right thing also; she has probably bordered on being a snitch by some definitions. this year she is having trouble with her friends; it seems all turn on her from one time or another. I think its a phase. Just in case it isn't, I can see why people have their kids do desperate things. Let me know of any options.

Back to School!

I guess I need to remember to be careful what I wish for. Thanks to an over-zealous soccer opponent, Sam is out of all sports for the rest of the Summer an Fall. His finger is broken into the growth plate, has nerve damage, and for the last month, he has had a claw-liike bandage on the middle finger, which allows him to legally flip people off, which he enjoys immensely.
The first day of school was today, and each one went to just a half-day, giving them just enough time afterward to come home and fight. I think their classes will be okay, but they both think they're suffering, she with no girlfriends on her "team," an he with his buddies in the other class. Bummer. They might just both study more this way, and actually do better.
There is something about watching kids go to school the first day- it's just a marking of time, a ritual of some type, which always seems to indicate somehow that all is right in the world. I might not feel that way if I were in the classroom all the time, but it is fun to watch all the kids. Hopefully the new schools in the district will do well, and the kids in those schools will adapt and have successful years too. It's something to hope for.

Dealing out Bribes

Sam says "The Doors" are probably dumb. I definately need to educate him. Of course, he still thinks Radio Disney is the thing to listen to. Not me, however.
I went to pick blueberries this morning at a local pick-your-own farm-- with my sister and her three kids, and one of mine. It was hot, crowded, and full of kids. Fortunately, only one of our crew was whining. We got six pounds of berries-- and I'm ready to go get more.
We must have timed things right, since it poured down once we got home.
I got a note today from a colleague about the local project-- Extreme School Makeover-- which is the way Independence will fix up the seven Kansas City schools it has annexed-- and a reminder that there are only 41 days until school starts again. Sam and I are duly depressed now. We both hate that thought. Summer ought to be about 120 days long--then we could get all our playing out. His last soccer game was a tie-- he has become a terrific goalie, making several saves in a row. His buddy KC is quite a good forward, and the two are a great team. They have another game this week, and a few more before the season ends.
I wish Sam would play soccer instead of football this fall. He wants to play tackle, which is so rough. His coach evidently thinks I don't know how to verify stats, since he told me statistically soccer is more violent than football, with more injuries. Nothing makes me madder than someone who thinks I'm stupid.
I told the kids that if they do their chores and get along, they can perhaps go to the Atcheson River Fest and see Miranda Lambwert and Blake Shelton. The odds of them getting along for ten days are slim, even if we're gone four to Omaha.

Maybe Some Things Don't Change After All!

It's so nice that some things don't change much in this world. I live near a large park, and this week is Field Day week at the park, evidently. Monday there were three buses from Raytown School District and one from Independence there-- Tuesday there were kids from a private parochial school, and Fort Osage there, and today, there were at least two hundred kids from my neighborhood school there, all participating in Field Day.
I remember when I was a child, and Field Day was the day we all looked forward to-- it might have topped the day we had our Christmas Party or Halloween Party at school. It was always warm, and we always picnicked outside, getting to chase each other, and playing games to our hearts' content.
It's comforting that this still goes on, in an era where inflatable moonwalks aren't allowed by the local school district because of insurance issues, background checks have to be done on volunteers, and homemade treats are not allowed at classroom parties. These field days had teachers, kids, and adults who appeared to be grandparents or parents-- I even saw strollers on Tuesday and Wednesday. (As one can tell, I walk through that park nearly every day.)
I'm just finding reassurance in these events, as the world continues to experience global warming, devastating earthquakes, cyclones, mass shootings, and all other such evils.