What I Did Tonight

We went to 4:30pm Mass tonight since we were both Eucharistic Ministers on the schedule. The head usher came over and asked me to help take up the collection, so I said sure. To make it simpler, I left the pew and went to stand in the back of the church. This was a different experience for me, since we are usually way up front. There is a different culture back there. People come late, slip in, slip out. It’s hard to hear sometimes, so you can lose the thread of the sermon or miss parts of the readings.

I’ve been reading “A Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren—a wonderful life changing book. The Holy Spirit kind of taps you on the shoulder and says, “What did I tell you? Better listen up. I’ve got plans for you.” So anyway, I just started praying for all the people in the church, that the Spirit might touch them as well and fill our church with love and understanding. How exciting that would be!

So it comes time for the collection, and I get my basket and head up the aisle. I remembered as I was walking that it was almost 33 years ago to the day that I last helped with the collection. It was Easter Sunday in Illinois. I was in graduate school and had long hair and a blue suit and yellow tie on. I wondered if the people thought I was going to head out the door with the loot, but they dropped in their envelopes anyway. I would just shove the basket under peoples’ noses whether they looked like they were going to give or not. This time, though, I paid attention to who had their envelopes in their hot little hands and didn’t bother the others.

As I was sitting in the last pew with two other ushers, the guy in front of me sneezed into his right hand. Great, I thought. I have to shake hands with this germy character at the Sign of Peace. I started reminding myself not to touch my mouth after I shook hands with him so I wouldn't get sick. Then, at the critical moment, he never turned around to speak to me! Harrumph. What's with him? Oh. Wait. Germophobe--good thing he didn't try to touch me after all.

The head usher asked me to help hand out the church bulletins at the end of Mass, so I did that too, and that was OK. I wonder if I’ve picked up yet another ministry—which would be funny because I’ve been quite vocal to Kathy about how I’m already doing enough up there.

Do you have the same problem in your church/temple/mosque? The same people seem to be in leadership roles and serving on the same committees—an over committed a dedicated core of folks who always say yes? How do you get people to jump in? I got started after doing a weekend retreat at church twenty-eight years ago. We don’t do those kinds of things anymore. Sounds like we need an infusion of the Holy Spirit. I’ll have to bring it up at the next committee meeting.