Hello Faith Pals,
Welcome to a day of glorious sunshine-the gardens are happy, our Vitamin D levels goes up, and we feel happier too, don’t we.
I was thinking about your faith maps- you know, the ones you are all working on.
I then wondered about the notes or script you could write on your map. What are some of the sayings that are part of you and your family? They may include ‘If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.’ or ‘Never judge another until you have walked a full moon in his moccasins.’ Perhaps it is similar to the one I had on a poster on my bedroom wall as a teenager: ‘The sole purpose in life is to serve mankind.’ They could be ones you heard your mother say as you rushed out the door ‘Always wear clean underwear in case you are hit by a bus.’ (as a former nurse-no one in the Emergency Department cares-so this saying is irrelevant!) So…what family sayings do you still carry with you/discarded/added to? I know I asked about favourite Bible passages/verses some time back, but this is a little bit different.
I have a book on my shelf called Words of Wisdom. It is a book about the best advice people ever received. It was compiled by three children in the early 1980s, via letters they sent to famous people. They used their royalties to help several charities. Part of the Foreword is worth quoting:
‘The aim of this book is to help other people who are less fortunate than ourselves.
The idea was sprung on the three of us by Mum just before the Summer Holiday in 1981. She said we had nothing better to do and so we started writing to famous people asking them for the best piece of advice that had been given in their life and by whom. Dad also thought it was a good idea as it got us up early to check the mail.’
Well! What could be achieved during lockdown?
On the cover is the Archbishop of Canterbury’s advice: ‘Do one thing each day which you would rather not do.’ Pam Ayres’s advice is also on the cover: ‘Always keep a hundred miles between you and your relations.’
One reply, from Sir Robert Mark:
‘The best piece of advice I can recall was given me as a child in Sunday School. It is from Chapter 6 of St Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians and it reads: ‘Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.’ As you grow older you will gradually begin to understand what a simple, admirable philosophy that is, and how much better a world it would be if all men followed it.’
One of my favourite pieces of advice (from the Bible) is ‘love one another.’
What will church look like when we resume? I re-read this item in a book, and thought I would type it up. You may have seen it before in this format or with slightly different wording over the years. This is an American one, so some of the terms in it we would change (ie ‘bed’ for ‘cot’):
No Excuse Sunday
‘To make it possible for everyone to attend church next Sunday, we are going to have a special “No Excuse Sunday.” Cots will be placed in the foyer for those who say, “Sunday is my only day to sleep in.” There will be a special section with lounge chairs for those who feel that our pews are too hard. Eyedrops will be available for those with tired eyes from watching TV late Saturday night. We will have steel helmets for those who say, “The roof would cave in if I ever came to church.” Blankets will be furnished for those who think the church is too cold and fans for those who say it is too hot. Scorecards will be available for those who wish to list the hypocrites present. Relatives and friends will be in attendance for those who can’t go to church and cook dinner, too. We will distribute “Stamp Out Stewardship” buttons for those who feel that the church is always asking for money.
One section will be devoted to trees and grass for those who like to seek God in nature. Doctors and nurses will be in attendance for those who plan to be sick on Sunday. The sanctuary will be decorated with both Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies for those who never have seen the church without them. We will provide hearing aids for those who can’t hear the preacher and cotton for those who can.’-Anon (from the Joyful Noiseletter, re printed in Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul.)
Blessings and love,
Barbara
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