"We are the Church--at home, in our neighborhoods, in places of business, everywhere. when we care, we are glorifying God through our work, our effort, our fruit." (96)
How do you cultivate ceremony and ritual in your home? (78)
How do you reach out to the singles, widows, or widowers in your church family? (97)
I feel like I am not good at rituals. My husband is even worse. I am good at a schedule but doing things yearly like for holidays doesn't really appeal to me. We set up a little tree. We make a little nest of blankets on a quiet, cold day. We ride the MAX downtown to go to the waterfront when people come visit. There just aren't a lot of things we ALWAYS do that I anticipate and plan.
ReplyDelete...we went to ZooLights at Christmas this year so maybe that could be something. We went to the coast for our anniversary this year.
Singles in our small group we go out to lunch with, they aren't in charge of meals, they have discipleship, ... am I doing anything to personally serve them? No. I don't know if I know what would be helpful. Lindsay and Lera are both single and probably always will be and I think I help them through friendship.
Widows/widowers. We don't have anyone in our small group that fits this category. Could divorce fall in this category? Because then their are a few people in our church who fall into this that we have helped when needed.
What ideas do you have for serving these two groups of people?
Ceremonies and rituals in my home...
ReplyDeleteThe boys birthdays. We always, so far, have had a party with family and friends. I make their cake, whatever their little heart desires.
I, finally, am getting in the habit of putting out some fall decorations.
And, we do decorate for Christmas and Halloween.
Our boys each get a new Christmas ornament and, often, my husband and I try to come up with some gift we can make them.
We started a few years ago decorating shirts for 4th of July. Although, I have to admit, this year, they each purchased a shirt at Shopko with a patriotic theme.
The singles, I'm not so good with. We are blessed in that my in-laws purchased two twin beds for us when we purchased our new home. They are for when they visit. However, we have offered them to singles when needed. Otherwise, most of the singles at our church are male and that throws a curve ball in it for me, as far as serving them goes. Although, I remember at Trinity, there was a single guy who needed food (not prepared meals, but food he could prepare himself) and several people brought sacks of groceries to church for him.
I think, part of it, is just including them. It was one thing I enjoyed, after Rick and I were married, so many people talk about giving up their single friends, but because of our weird work hours, I kept a lot of my single friends. We would go out to dinner or hangout during the evenings in the week, while Rick was at work.
The widows and widowers...
Our church does 5th Sunday potlucks, the elderly at our church take home dinner plates. Also, I think, just providing a listening ear is a wonderful act of service. Having one of the gentlemen ask the same questions every time we see him, yet, still seeking him out to tell him, "Good morning." Helping with the bi-monthly meal our church does just for an elderly group. Our youth Pastor is really good about contacting men for help when one of the elderly members of our church is going to be moving. To get help lined up. Offering to drive an elderly person to a doc app, to the store, or even to church. Offering to pick-up and drop off items.
I think divorced people might fall into the same category. It depends on reason for the divorce, repentance, time.
With some situations and people, there is a time when someone needs to fall hard to get right with God and a time when they need help and for believers to come along side them. Discernment, oy!