Your Church is a Woodpile

Well we’ve done it.

We Sullivans have switched to wood heating.

And that means we have had A LOT of wood to stack.

Well over two thousand pieces to be more precise.

And when the truck unloaded it all onto our driveway, it became very clear to us that…

…if we didn’t get to it, there would be no coming in or going out.

TWO DAYS…

That’s all it took two adults and a bunch of little children to stack a massive pile of wood.

Do you want to know how we did it?

Simple.

We encouraged each other; and we picked up one single piece of wood at a time.

I can still hear Gabriel talking to the others…

“Good job everybody! Well done, Tobias. Wow that was fast, Hannah!” And so on.

And while it may not be a metaphor for life…that wood pile certainly is a metaphor for parish life.

Just think about it.

The most successful Church you know of…what are they doing?

Most likely the next, best and simple thing they can handle.

And when a new initiative begins at the grass roots at that same Church…what is the general response?

Criticism…

…Yes of course there will always be criticism;

…but there is also a significant amount of support and encouragement from sincere individuals who have no problem vocalizing it.

YOU SEE…

Being part of a parish is like getting a whole lot of wood dumped on your driveway.

If you really want people coming in and evangelizers going out then you need to start picking up the pieces, one at a time.

And hey, if you really just need someone to encourage you while you do so, let me be the first.

You can do this.

Have a great Wednesday. in Christ, patrick