Why go to church?

What are you doing today?  When I was young, the grocery stores in the small town were closed and in fact they all had signs on their doors that read "closed Sundays - see you in church."  Back then more Americans did go to worship services, on Sundays or on whatever day was most significant to their faith tradition.  Now more and more people are asking "Why go to church?"

In an interview with Ladies Home Journal back in 1917, Theodore Roosevelt, our 26th president offered a number of reasons for going to church. One of the things he said was "Church work and church attendance mean the cultivation of the habit of feeling some responsibility for others and the sense of braced moral strength, which prevents a relaxation of one's own moral fiber." I like that. It sounds a lot like the kind of thing I write about here every day.

The Bible calls on us to be the church, and not just go to church. How can we be the church though if we are not there and are not participating?  How can we spread the Good News and feed and clothe the poor and work for justice and pray for peace and promote a better world, if we don't get off our butts and go?

I'm not going to convince someone in this small space that participating in their synagogue, church, mosque, or other place of worship is something they should do. The reasons for going are many. I suppose you could make a list for why NOT to participate also.  Just for a moment today though, think about it.  If you already have a faith community that you have been part of, think about participating more fully, and if you do not, take a look around.  See what's available to you.  Consider joining and making a difference.  Today just happens to be Easter Day.  What an excellent time to get involved!

 

Roosevelt also said "Yes, I know all the excuses. I know that one can worship the Creator and dedicate oneself to good living in a grove of trees, or by a running brook, or in one's own house, just as well as in church. But I also know as a matter of cold fact the average man does not thus worship or thus dedicate himself," the President said. "If he strays away from church, he does not spend his time in good works or lofty meditation. He looks over the colored supplement of the newspaper."

The Doctors

Doctors make a difference and while I think we should recognize them all the time, today is a day especially for that, National Doctors' Day. We can all celebrate as we recognize the contributions of physicians to our own lives, to our families and friends, and to our communities.

My mother was a nurse, so I learned at a very young age about the wonderful things doctors do. Most of us though take doctors for granted, or we become frustrated when we are stuck in a waiting room waiting for our appointment. Think beyond that for a moment. Think about the long hours they work and think about the lives they save. Think about the times they help make your pains disappear.  Think about the doctor who saved your life when you were in that accident, or who successfully removed the cancer from your body, or the doctor who helped you adjust to diabetes.  Think about the doctor who treated your child's chicken pox, or the physician who operated on your heart, or the doctor who stood by your bed listening to your litany of pains and aches.  

Doctors complete a four-year undergraduate program, four years in medical school, and three to seven years in a residency program to learn the specialty they wish to pursue. The learning doesn't stop there. A good physician is always keeping up with advances in medicine.  How many people have the patience for so many years of education.

In recent years I have volunteered at a hospital and have had the marvelous opportunity to see a lot of physicians up close. Oh my! Such really kind and skilled people. I can't really mention names here. There isn't room.  Instead, I will simply say thank you to them all.

One of many

One of many. (Not a Star Trek character. You're thinking of Seven of Nine). I was just thinking though of one marvelous thing, but as I did, I realized that it wasn't the only marvelous thing. There are tons of marvelous things and more keep on coming. It was simply one of many.

When you eat a mouth-watering candy bar, remember that there are more where that came from - it's just one of many.  When you have a wonderful day, think of it as one of many. When you hear a great song for the first time, be happy about that, but realize it is one of many. How about that fantastic breakfast you just ate, of the beautiful flowers you saw during your morning walk? There are wonders just about everywhere you look. We are surrounded by all kinds of goodness, but sometimes we just don't see it.

As you go through today, make a mental note of every positive or joyful thing you experience - all kinds of candy bars?  beautiful flowers?  perhaps smiling faces?  As you do it, think of the fact that your list keeps on growing. We aren't just talking about one thing - we are talking about one of many!

Ordinary folks

Do you need to have a certain level of education, or do you need a large bank account, or must you be of a certain age or race or religion or ethnicity to be a hero?  Do you have to be a man to be a hero?  That might seem like an odd question, but think about it for a moment.  Who do you consider your own heroes?  Do they have anything in common?

I have found over the years that those who inspire me are all different.  Their age or sex or gender identity or wealth or life experience can all be different.  In real life, heroes don't wear capes. In real life heroes aren't always men and they don't need to be a certain height or of a certain race. In real life heroes don't necessarily even get much attention.  Being a hero isn't so much about who they are, but what they do.

Just about all of the people I consider heroes, are ordinary folks.  So what does that mean?  Who can be a hero?  Ordinary folks like you and me.  Every single one of us can he a hero!

Who or what inspires you?

Inspiration:  Where does it come from?  Is there an athlete, or a television program or a book or a movie or a famous person that has given you inspiration?  There must be someone or something that has inspired you at some time in your life.  I am fortunate to have had inspirations many times.  There are famous people who always inspire me, but sometimes it's just the new friend I just met.

Let's talk a little bit about it.  What made it inspiring?  Can you remember the circumstances?  Has anyone ever told you that you inspire them?  Did they say why?  Think about it.  What does it take to inspire?  (For me, there are many things).

Our country's sixth President, John Quincy Adams (way back in the early 1800s) said "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."

And so dear readers, be a leader.  Inspire someone!

Let them know

Recently several people I know have died.  The anniversary of my mom's death is approaching too.  Thinking about so many people who have passed away got me thinking about something else: regrets. Was there anything in their lives that they regretted as they came to an end? What about my relationship with them? Did I have any regrets?

The answer for me, is no. I don't really have any regrets.   Oh yes, I regret not being able to see them any longer, but I have no regrets about our friendships. I believe in speaking up and saying what I think. I always encourage others to do the same thing. Do you value someone's friendship? Let them know. Do you enjoy spending time with someone? Let them know.

There's always tomorrow, isn't really true. A friend died unexpectedly in his sleep not long ago. I wonder how many wishes they had said any number of things to him, before that night. Now I am not saying we should live in fear that each day may be our last or the last day for a friend or relative, but throughout life, don't hide your feelings. Let them know how you feel!

Telling someone that you think they are special or that you enjoy their company, can really brighten their day! My thoughts anyway - what do YOU think?

Give Me A Number

One day at a hospital where I volunteer, I overheard family members talking about an elderly patient.  "I'm not spending money on that," said one.  "She probably won't be alive much longer anyway so it wouldn't be worth it."

This isn't the first time I heard people talk numbers.  During the COVID-19 pandemic I heard several times that some people would die, but not enough to be worried about.  When should we be concerned then?  Please, give me a number.

There are many wonderful people in this world doing great things, and it gives me pleasure to be able to write about some of them here and about things we can all do to make a difference.  From time to time though I just have to comment on the other side of the coin.  There sadly are people who just don't care about others.  I don't get it.  I really don't.  I especially don't understand the preoccupation with numbers.

Every single person is entitled to the chance at happiness from the moment they are born until the day they day.  It's not a case of some being expendable.  It isn't that someone has lived a long time and therefore no longer deserves to live.  That is simply nonsense.  It doesn't matter who says otherwise - they are wrong.  There isn't an age when people are no longer worthy.