I’m on a Mission
August 7, 2007
…a mission from the gods. Here’s my plan.
Once a week.
Break out the phone book.
Open to the section containing places of worship (ANY places of worship; ie, temples, synagogues, churches, covens, etc).
Pick one at random.
Show up at the appropriate time.
Listen with an open mind and an open heart.
Meet people.
Ask questions and learn.
Speak with clergy, deacons and other church elders to learn more.
Share what I learn with others.
Here are my issues.
Don’t want to be converted or become a member. I already know what I believe.
I am very very excruciatingly shy.
Not wanting to offend others in any way or be perceived as intrusive.
Having the option to come back and learn more if I choose to do so.
Sharing what I learn honestly and openly without offense.
Here are my questions:
How do I get past the shy thing?
Should I call or just show up?
Should I push the envelope? (Look different in some way. Bring attention to myself. Ask difficult questions. Open for suggestions as to how to handle this aspect.)
I don’t know that I ever could but, I’d love to do this. Am I crazy?
do it ;]
very interesting mission – and this doesn’t seem crazy to me…. i’m curious to see what you discover from your visits.
here’s a suggestion: go twice… go once looking “normal” and once “pushing the envelope” to see what happens!
but, i’m wondering: why do this if you already know what you believe? what’s your motivation?
To learn why others believe what they do. To expand my own mind and heart. To make friends. To add to my already eclectic soul. To teach others to tolerate and respect from what others value and believe. To be able to defend the beliefs of others secure in the knowledge that I am doing so aptly and with accordance to their tenets. To set an example and facilitate some measure of peace among the masses. To show my kids a way to make the world a better place. Whew. That was a mouthful. I could keep going but I figure that’s a pretty good start.
Nice to meet you.
There’s only one way to get over the ’shy thing’ and that is Melani said – just do it. What are you worried about? People will judge you? Disapprove of you? Hate your clothes?
It’s not likely but even so – what better way to find the heart of a community. Hospitality is something that the Bible speaks highly of and an inhospitable church is either a place you should either leave behind or (perhaps) be able to help. Lots of time ’shyness’ can be misconstrued as bad manners.
Anyway, I think that is a great idea. In fact, even though I have a faith community that I call home, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get out there and meet some different people, maybe learn a few things in the process.
Cool.
Thanks for the vote of confidence. Wait til you hear my idea about Faith-con.
How’s the mission coming?
Unfortunately, life tends to interfere with my mission frequently. Currently I am struggling with a 17yo son that MUST learn to respect others and take some kind of responsibility for his apathy and non-actions. Until I get this situation under some degree of control my mission is on hiatus. It hasn’t been a good week or so. Returning to school is always a difficult and very stressful time of year around here. He quit last year and decided to return at the urging of his SPED teacher. He is set to obtain an occupational diploma and must have a job in order to do so. Due to a dysfunctional education system he fell through the cracks a long time ago and now, it’s gonna take some heavy duty damage control to get him back on track. So much for *No Child Left Behind*. Another fabricated myth of the Bush administration.
I feel your pain. My son just turned 21 and he has ADD. No one caught it until he was freshman (no H in that recipe) and by that time the damage was done; hated school, low self esteem, depression, expecting eternal failure -and with a dad who had been kicking his butt for years for being ‘lazy’. It ain’t easy. The only advice I would give anybody is to find a way to avoid trying to ‘control’ the situation. Turn it over to God – it’s in his hands anyway.
I also teach SpEd in a high school. The NCLB program is going to be remembered as one of the greatest fiascoes in education. It’s tragic.
Maybe I can help. The system doesn’t do a good job of guiding parents through this maze. If you want to take this conversation over to a more private forum like e-mail I would more than happy to help you learn from my mistakes.
In asking questions about beliefs is where you find answers. Being shy, me to and not at the same time. I like dealing with people on my terms.
When looking for answers to your questions, I think you will find that people want to give you answers to questions that you have not asked, but at least in my case it seemed that way, but if you persist the answers will show up. and they are not always what you expect.
Many times the spirituality of those that are truly seeking “God” or what ever you want to refer to him/her as life becomes the teacher, beliefs are about your relationship with the creator and yourself.I think you will find that to be the path to find the answers you seek.
As for the bush programs, well historically one should learn that you never follow a burning bush into the desert. as for no child left behind, I think that is why he is so intent on building bombs and atomic weapons.
It is not madness to search for God, Look with in you will see him/her smiling back at you.
Allan