I went to church today, as normal, with my kids. I ignored my own mind or something that was encouraging me to take the tribe up in the mountains and just have some fun.
Sacrament was one long meeting. The topic was on "service." But the talks were only about service in the church. I just sat there with my guts in a rage. I kept thinking to myself--why, when there are so many beautiful opportunities for service out there--do people in the church (and two members of the Stake High council) only think "service" is an inside the church word.
I listened carefully, and couldn't wait to leave. And leave I did. Went home, laid out in the sun for awhile, then made a great sunday dinner for the tribe.
As I think about it, my own brother thinks the same way. He and I were talking last night on the phone about what I was up to and I was describing some "civic duty" and charitable work I've been up to. I told him I'd rather do that than most church callings. His reply---oh-those things are two different worlds. I gave him a bit of my view, which he promptly discounted. Oh--older brothers....
Sacrament was one long meeting. The topic was on "service." But the talks were only about service in the church. I just sat there with my guts in a rage. I kept thinking to myself--why, when there are so many beautiful opportunities for service out there--do people in the church (and two members of the Stake High council) only think "service" is an inside the church word.
I listened carefully, and couldn't wait to leave. And leave I did. Went home, laid out in the sun for awhile, then made a great sunday dinner for the tribe.
As I think about it, my own brother thinks the same way. He and I were talking last night on the phone about what I was up to and I was describing some "civic duty" and charitable work I've been up to. I told him I'd rather do that than most church callings. His reply---oh-those things are two different worlds. I gave him a bit of my view, which he promptly discounted. Oh--older brothers....
Below is an extract from http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon272.htm that basically sums up my feelings on Church "service".
ReplyDelete"Example, my wife. She spends hours doing "church service." But what does her service consist of? Spending hours preparing primary lessons, preparing sharing time for primary, preparing relief society lessons, and so on. Hours and hours on "service" that nobody really cares that much about and which does very little in the long run, or the short run, to make anybody's life better or to help anyone truly in need.
"Completely wasted time, in my opinion.
"If what she really wanted was to "serve," I can think of many other ways that she could do it that might actually have an impact on someone's life for the positive."
I have thought/felt this, too. Fortunately, I've had the opportunity to see a ward that really worked how I imagine wards are supposed to work, and I've seen people serve in callings with spirit and heart and focus on people, and it makes a world of difference in what it means to go to church and be part of a ward. For some reason, such examples seem rare, and it makes the callings seem inane when done robotically or without real purpose. I still wonder: it could be the people, not the service opportunities, which are at fault for having little real impact. I just wish wards which functioned the way I witnessed were not the exception...
ReplyDeleteLike Mohomie, I've been in wards and stakes where this isn't true. We've had youth involved in building homes for habitat for humanity; we've been involved in conservation projects at the lake, etc.
ReplyDeleteBut, I've also seen the other side too - and it's all too common. Too many mormon's have a myopic view of the world and live in a bubble.
Don't you realize that the World is our ward, and that we aren't allowed to go beyond its borders? :)
ReplyDeleteMany get caught up in that kind of thing, to the point that associations are kept only within the ward boundaries... even associating or serving others in the next ward boundary over are unthinkable!
But I spent four hours of physical activity moving a non-member family into the neighborhood on Friday. Yes, there was a subconscious motivation to do it because it was a priesthood assignment, but what felt good, was getting to know new neighbors and serving them in their time of need, and seeing and feeling their sincere, heart-felt gratitude for receiving help from complete strangers (who are now their friends) in return.