The Call

This post has religious content--kind of.

I go to a small church. Yesterday, at the end of the service, as we sang the final hymn, I noticed some nonverbal communication going on. Someone in the choir looked at someone's mom, who looked at her teenaged son, who looked perplexed. Again, looks were exchanged, this time with a slight gesture to the processional cross. Light dawned on the young man's face, and he went up to the front of the church to "jump in" as the Crucifer for the closing procession.

This post is about the Call of the Cross--kind of.

Sometimes we have a plan. For instance, in our church there is a list for who will assist at each service, who will read the lessons, who will do the children's chat, who will bake the communion bread, even right down to who will clean the church and set up the room. And yet there are a few jobs, traditionally performed by young people, that we have found difficult to schedule. So we often ask for volunteers before the service begins. Sometimes we forget, or they forget...

This post is about God's Holy Church--kind of.

In any community we belong to, there will always be a balance between what is planned and what is not. There will be people who thrive on structure, and also those who delight in spontaneity. Answering the call is different for each of us. This Fall has been full of opportunities to participate and to serve: from Maryland politics, to Howard County budgets, to Columbia's future in Merriweather Park or how it meets the needs of families, to the Verona apartments in Oakland Mills or the future of the Second Chance Saloon.

This post is about gratutude--absolutely.

Whether you make a contribution to your community through serving in an official office, or by staying informed on local issues through reading, attending meetings, and talking to friends, you have made vital contributions this year. County employees, CA employees, Village Board members, PTA volunteers, self-educated neighbors and friends have all "answered the call" to support our community.

We may agree or disagree. We may have differing ways to respond to the challenges we face. What we share is the willingness to keep our eyes and ears open to when we might be needed to "jump in".

 

 

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