"Best book I've ever read!" Bonnie, inconsequential blogger
1 - Yay for country music!
2 - JP is now 7 and a half months old. Time flies, eh? The last 5 or so weeks have been really great and full of milestones.
2 - He's started joining us for meals instead of just nursing. (yessss-uh!)
3 - He started to sit up on his own. And teethe (he has the two bottom ones and his top left canine, and he's got more coming!)
4 - And doesn't he look adorable with that hat? When I was pregnant Erica from Just 11 Stitches sent it to me to congratulate me on my newest baby. So sweet.
5 - In January we celebrated Peter's due date birthday. We had a nice dinner and even had cake. L made a birthday card for the big brother she never met and it just about made me cry.
"Happy Birthday dear Peter. My heart is broken."
And then she drew a picture of a broken heart! I mean the kid is killing me here!
"Balloons"
"Cupcake"
"Candle"
Seriously, best kindergartner ever.
6 - There's some interesting feedback in the comment box on my "What do I want from my parish?" post. Lately I have been in an interesting place, stuck between being incredibly busy and craving nothing more but to sit on the sofa with my husband at the end of the day and wanting *more* from Catholics (including myself) in terms of evangelizing. We have the Truth! Our faith is Beautiful and Fun! What we know about Christ and how we experience Him in our Sacraments is compelling! Life giving!
It strikes me as sad that people *only* want coffee and donuts from their parish. Not to knock that activity - which I think is a really good one - but in my mind that's like someone at a 3 star Michelin restaurant ordering toast. To me it says that our parishes just might be in pretty pathetic shape if we're wishing for coffee and donuts. Gosh, do I sound snobby?
If you haven't commented I would love to hear what you wish your parish offered. You can hear what I wish my parish offered and read others' comments by clicking over.
7 - And this one's for all the Freaks and Geeks fans out there.
I think it is truly lovely that you celebrate Peter's due-date birthday. ...and Lydia's card breaks my heart; so very sweet. <3
ReplyDeleteI haven't read your last few posts yet, but a lot is going on at my parents' parish that I think they're having similar reactions to. They're finally building a "real" church and asking parishinors for their input for what should be included. Many have said a coffee bar and others want this elaborate sculpture garden. I'm hearing all of this secondhand so I don't know if it all will really go through or not, but I tend to agree with you. Can't wait to read that post.
ReplyDeleteYour little boy is so cute! Totally not the same as being a mom, but when I worked at a daycare last year, there was one little one who hated, HATED being anywhere but in someone's arms. It was so exciting to watch her grow up and begin to enjoy solo playtime and sleep time!
And that card for Peter...wow. How sweet of her to wholeheartedly recognize that he was her brother and she misses him as if she knew him.
I haven't commented on that other post yet - but I want so much more than coffee and donuts. It makes me sad that our church's parking lot is empty more often than not.
ReplyDeleteLydia's card is so beautiful, Bonnie. What a treasure, and what a loving young girl she is. I just watched the video (good job!). I'll head over there and comment now.
ReplyDeleteI haven't commented on your other post yet, but I will say is that what I want from my parish is a community...a village. A place where "everyone knows your name", where you feel welcome and there are people to bring you meals when you have a new baby and pray for you when you need it and visit when you are sick. I think a lot of big Catholic parishes are really lacking a sense of community. Some churches do have it. Our parish offeres a women's morning rosary group with FREE childcare. Totally awesome and a great way to meet other moms. I wish there were more small groups or family activites and opportunties to really get to know a few other families really well.
ReplyDeleteAdult catechisis would be awesome too.
Oh, your girl's sweet card...my heart.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend, Bonnie. :)
So, being an almost brand spanking new follower here, I have just seen your wee little one for the first time and he's so darn cute :)
ReplyDeleteLydia's. card. Save that FOREVER.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love the stage when the littles can finally sit at the dinner table. Yay for milestones!
I think that when people ask for donuts and coffee what they are seeking is community. When people have a place to gather casually they will form a community which will then help them to join in other ways, such as scripture studies.
ReplyDeleteAs for empty parking lots: the only answer to that is evangelization!
Becky D.
Our parish offers a beautiful liturgy, regular confessions and regular adoration. I realize that I am very lucky to have these and that not all parishes have that. But I do, so what I really want is coffee and doughnuts after mass. Evangeliation begins in the home and grows organically to those you invite to share your life and your friendship. As they are affected they affect others and on it grows. I want to meet the older family who has been there, done that, and can tell us how it is done. I want to meet the new mom who feels all alone and I want to tell her that she is not. The priests are doing their job.. bringing us God's grace through the sacraments and putting God in our mouth. The last thing we need is more staff to organize events and educational events that the same 20 people come to. What my parish needs is a way for families to meet each other and to form friendships so that they can evangelize, educate and help each other. Evangelizing starts with the Eucharist and leads to the Eucharist, the source and the summit of our faith. Our priests are doing that very well. The church doesn't need more clubs. It need God filled people encouraging and helping each other, and others will be drawn to God through our love for each other. Living as one household, having everything in common. So give me some coffee and doughnuts, they have already given me Jesus. ;)
ReplyDeleteAlso, this is generating really good conversation, so thanks for opening it up like this!
DeleteIt is a good conversation! I'm so glad people are engaging!
DeleteIn my experience coffee and donuts is not a great way to meet new people unless you have outgoing people running it or people in the parish who feel enough ownership to mingle. Otherwise it can be clique-y, newcomers can be outsiders, and gossip can happen. Just serving coffee and donuts is not going to evangelize and educate, right? The right people (whether they have God-given gifts or have been trained) need to be present.
Would you agree or disagree with that?
My original point, which has grown exponentially as I have thought about it (sorry)is that the church IS doing her job. That is one the beautiful things about being Catholic. We don’t measure the success of our church based on numbers of participation. The HG is at work in our church and we have confidence in that. The church IS doing her part, now it’s time for you and for me (even if we are the only two in the whole world doing it) to do our part. And our part has nothing to do with coffee and doughnuts or any other church function, it has to do with responding to God’s Grace and loving the people God Places before us. Those people might be at C&D after mass or it might be your next door neighbor. We shouldn’t look for the church to provide these opportunities for us (they are swamped just giving us God), because God already provides these opportunities to know and to love every day. The church gives us food every single day, if we want it, and it is OUR job to share it with others. That, is the really hard part I guess.
Delete“An authentic faith – which is never comfortable or completely personal – always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better that we found it. We love this magnificent planet on which God has put us, and we love the human family which dwells here, with all its tragedies and struggles, its hopes and aspirations, its strengths and weaknesses. The earth is our common home and all of us are brothers and sisters.” From the fourth Chapter of The Joy of The Gospel.
So while these small groups, and C&D after mass, and any other ideas we come up with, are nice, and can help facilitate evangelization, they are not necessary, what is necessary is our response to grace and our willingness to love. So I guess I am disagreeing, in a way with my point about wanting C&D after mass, but a nice chocolate sprinkle would be nice some days..
DeleteAnyway, I probably messed up the whole conversation. You just really got me thinking about it all (and then I threw up the thoughts on your blog!) Sorry my friend. It is a great question.
Delete"Bonnie, inconsequential blogger."
ReplyDeletePshaw. More like, "Bonnie, Blogatrix of Sheenazing Award Fame."
How is he 7.5 months old already??? Seriously, babies on the internet grow so much faster than babies in real life...
ReplyDeleteAnd that card! Totally breaks my heart.
I'm with the others that coffee and donuts is more about creating community than about the food, but I'm with you that it needs to be run the right way - we've been at parishes where longstanding parishioners have approached us and talked with us at things like that, and also at parishes where everybody sits at their own table and we felt shut out... It's gotta be done right!
ReplyDeleteI will comment on the original post, but I will just say here that I was definitely not saying that *all* I want from a parish is coffee and donuts. I just think its a good place to start. So, sure, maybe its a bit like ordering toast, but only as an appetizer to whatever fancy yummy entrée is coming next. More over on that other post. :)
well. more in a while. baby needs to have a nursing marathon, etc.
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