“What’s going on?” asked the parson.
“Well, take last week. You know my charge doesn’t have a secretary. So, I have to do the bulletin. I preach at two different churches each morning, and they don’t have the same order of worship. I have to make two bulletins. Every time I get an early start on them someone will call and I have to change it. It takes me I don’t know how many hours to get it done.”
The parson smiled. “I remember my first church, Sam. You ought to be thankful. Back then we had to use a mimeograph machine. The one at that church had been overlooked by Sherman when he marched through. You actually had to paint the ink on the inside of the drum.”
“Well, I have to tell you, parson. I never thought I’d be spending this much time manufacturing bulletins.”
“And they didn’t teach you about putting bulletins in seminary; did they?”
“No sir, they certainly did not. Neither did they explain the intricacies of trash removal.”
“Trash removal?” the parson asked.
“Yep, I swear the folks at my churches apparently don’t know where to put the trash. Every time there’s some activity I get to the church the next day and am greeted with the aroma of garbage. It’s almost a ritual. I come to the church on Monday mornings and empty the garbage cans in the kitchen and fellowship hall. I guess they’re waiting until the custodian comes by on Friday night. Got to tell you, the smell would be ripe by them.”
“Welcome to our world,” said the parson.
“You know, parson, I’m not complaining but sometimes it just seems folks don’t respect things.”
The parson didn’t respond. Sam continued. “Have you ever driven past Original Settler’s Holy Chapel?
They bush hog the property every Thursday, but where the tractor can’t go never gets cut. I finally gave up last Friday and took my own lawnmower down there to cut around the trees, the shrubs and the ditch along the right-of-way.”
Sam quit talking. He studied the parson. “What are you grinning about?”
“Oh, Sam,” said the parson, “it’s nice to see such a young one learning so early that being an effective pastor sometimes takes more than just being what is defined as ‘pastor’.”
Credits: Graphics by subscription with Clip Art Dot Com
Take out the mowing and that was me once upon a time. Except for me then...and still today...it's not taking out the trash. It's picking up after people. Bulletins left in people's seats, cups left on tables in the back of the sanctuary, cords left out so others can trip over them, music stands not put back, etc.
Have a blessed day. And keep on bringing back those memories. :)
Posted by: brogreg | October 17, 2007 at 11:42 AM