a day in the lfe of...

I am getting a good glimpse into the life of young families these days. Up at 3:00 am with a two year old, assuring her that everyone is ok and that it is not yet time to get out of bed. Then up at 5:30 am with a two year old that just cannot sleep any longer no matter how much you try to convince her that it is still dark outside. Breakfast is on the go between getting ready for school, packing lunches and coaxing a two year old that she needs to get out of her PJs and dressed for the day. Everyone is out the door at 7:15 am for work and day care. When everyone gets home at 6:00 pm, there is dinner to prepare for family members who are famished from the day’s work and play. After a few moments over dinner (that came from a cookbook titled, Healthy Meals in 20 Minutes) there is some playtime with Daddy and Mommy, a walk for the dog, then it is bath time and everyone is off to bed to start the day again in the morning. (After writing this I had to go and take a nap, I am exhausted. I did not mention how the mounds of laundry, cutting the grass, cleaning the house finds time to fit into this schedule.) In the midst of this schedule, which I don’t think is unique, I am asking myself; how does the church’s activities best fit into this schedule? How can the church provide a place of rest and give people a place where they can experience the spirit of God in the midst of the day-to-day schedules that capture so much of our energy. This is the reality of today’s world into which the church must find itself offering the healing grace of God’s love. The church should not be asking for people to conform their schedules to the church’s but rather how does the church offer moments of reflections on the things of God that conforms to these busy and often sleep deprived schedules. I also know that all of us have schedule that are often consuming, leaving the church in today's world with the same questions around its relevance in our time. Perhaps Diana Butler Bass is on to something in her contemplation chapter?