Boys will be boys! I've heard that all my life and hearing it usually brings to mind certain images. I think of boys with baseball gloves and bicycles; of boys stomping through the mud puddles, splashing anyone nearby; of boys teasing little girls up to the point they realize girls aren't so bad after all. No matter what I can imagine, I would never have come up with the event that came about at Tommy's on Friday evening. Drew made up a fun game to play inside with big sister Sarah participating and little Mer watching. He put Jake's skateboard in line first and stacked throw pillows on the other side. The object was to run, jump over the skateboard and land on the pillows. Sarah did it perfectly. Drew didn't know his own speed or jumping ability and he cleared both the skateboard and the pillows, landing with his arm out to break his fall. His arm was described as a "W" by his dad and as a "noodle" by his mom. After several hours at the hospital, he got home with a splint and a prize or two for being a good patient. Later this week he'll have a cast put on it. He's been looking forward to baseball this spring so let's hope his arm heals quickly.

One thing a person knows when he/she puts his/her thoughts in writing is you leave yourself wide open for criticism, disagreements etc. A few posts back I commented on unfriendly actions of people and what I said was completely taken out of context and misunderstood. The result was a scathing, annonymous comment on the post and another from a friend who has recently gone to a new church herself. The first jumped on me with both feet saying that possibly I am the one who needs to extend myself and that it sounded like I was just looking for a reason to go to another church. Obviously, this person doesn't know me or he/she would know I am not a quitter. I was merely making a statement of the way things are everywhere and how we all need to be aware of who and whose we are. Since I am in the church as a regular attender, not a pastor or a minister, my place is a bit different. The second comment was about how extremely welcoming her new place of worship is and particularly I was struck by her saying that she wasn't told where something was, she was taken and shown. I revisit the issue for a couple of reasons. I know from experience that we can form such close ties with people in our circle of friends at the church--or other places--and we are so glad to see them that we unconsciously ignore new people. As a pastor I've been on the listening end when people have shared how hard they have tried to be included and they ended up being hurt. I wish you all could know a wonderful octogenarian couple, Helen and Pat. Sunday after Sunday I watched them go out of their way to talk to any and all newcomers they saw--no matter what their age, how they looked etc. Then, they would come tell me about the newcomers or get someone else to meet them. We need lots of Helens and Pats in the church! Again, I say, "Practice hospitality."

That same night in question the Bible study leader made a statement that continues to give me pause for thought. In his teaching on Mary washing the feet of Jesus with perfume and Judas criticizing her extravagance, he said something like: "Mary was a servant. Judas was interested in serving." What, I wonder, is the difference? To be a servant is to take on a role; it is to be identified with the master. To be a servant is to make a commitment to the master. Anyone can serve. I can serve you food because it's my job; I can help you across the street because I'll get brownie points, but the commitment involved can be slim to none. To be a servant of Christ identifies me with the Master and prompts me to serve Him, not a common cause or ideal. What do you think? Is this nitpicking with words? Maybe so, but if there truly is a difference, I'll be a servant.

Blessings,
Pastor Margaret