Support Your Local Sheriff (I mean Priest/Church)

Hi there, just a brief note, continuing where I left off last week with regard to an orientation on the working of a priest. I know the title will put me in a certain age bracket, but there it is, and I still like James Garner, as well as his successful actor daughter, Jennifer. For some of us, part of the reason for attending the workshop, was in the hope of learning how better to support the work of the priest. It's a huge job, and it was extremely indicative of the working of the priest, that none of the lecturers, all priests, ever spoke of what a priest can expect in terms of a salary or stipend. They are sent into a community with the trust and faith that they and their families will be adequately supported and provided for. Having attended several delegates' meetings, I would like to emphasize the word, adequate, which could also read, "barely". They truly do seemingly take a vow of poverty, when they are ordained. The fact that we are still struggling to find ways to support our priests in retirement, speaks volumes. That to me, is the first and foremost question: what does our priest and their family need? Take a good look, this is the responsibility of all members. Are they living at least as well as the average member of the congregation? If not, why not? Secondly, there are all the myriad little details that again, board members are usually well aware of, but other members of the congregation may not, and should be. In fact, one community is in the process of sending out a questionnaire, trying to find out what skills different members have, that could be volunteered in aid of the operation of the many things that often fall to a priest to carry: practical care of vestments, candles, flowers, the incense. Putting together the program, event planning, finances, website administration, email, study groups, building maintenance, taxes, insurance, etc., etc. The more that we as individuals can offer, the stronger our sense of community will become. Take a good look at your church building. Is it something you can be proud of? Would you be proud to bring your friends and family? If not, why not? Thirdly, the more of these things other people can take care of, the more the priest can concentrate on the things they are supposed to be doing: celebrating the sacraments, soul care in the community, and teaching/bringing the Word into physical being. That is the whole point of the Act of Consecration. The building of community, or helping to bring the spiritual down into the physical. The fact is, we are not just onlookers when we attend a service - we are co-celebrants. We are working together to help create something that can work positively on the Earth, and that will help carry it into its next evolution. Of course, in doing this, we also work on transforming ourselves, moving ever closer to something sacred that is waiting to be discovered in each and every one of us. We can all strive to breathe in the Word and transform it into the physical. Any and all work can become sacred. This is, of course, all done out of the freedom of our own will. The more we choose to work with the sacraments, not just by ourselves, but with others, the wider our horizons of perception and understanding will expand. Okay, that's the hard part. Next time, the Good News! Sparky