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HJ Clergy Corner: February 2007
EXCUSES, EXCUSES!
Fr. Michael Pappas
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
San Francisco, California
Excuses, excuses…we all make them…some, to get out dreaded obligations or trips, others, to avoid conversations with people whom they have
neither the time nor inclination to speak. Excuses can become so convincing that oftentimes they are easy to believe. Among the many excuses
people make, are those aimed at avoiding God’s invitation to come to Church.
If God is the Giver and Essence of life, why would anyone, in their right mind, reject His invitation to come to Church? As an observer of
human nature, I’ve discerned three plausible reasons: First, we take God for granted; Second, we think we’ve got better things to do; and
Third, at some level, we are afraid to enter into a meaningful relationship with Him.
If our faith tells us that God will always be present and ready to help, is it any wonder that we should take Him for granted? Sadly,
neglected relationships cannot sustain themselves. However much God persists to love and help us, our failure to invest in a relationship
with Him, will render us alienated from His love.
Growing up, I had a weekly banking ritual with my father. After making his financial transactions, dad would ask me to present my little
green passbook savings account to the teller. With a smile on his face, he would hand me a dollar to deposit into the account. After several
months of making such deposits, I remember asking why those dollars had to go to the bank and not to something more pleasurable, like ice
cream or the movies. His answer I would later equate metaphorically to my soul and spiritual life. In a simple, yet profound, retort, dad
imparted to me a life lesson, “Son, if there is no money in your account, what will you draw upon in your time of need?” Each time we come
to Church and pray, we make a precious deposit on behalf of our soul, which God multiplies with interest!
I must confess, my heart breaks every time I hear a parent say, with seemingly no remorse, “We can’t come to Church, because our child is
playing sports or is involved in some other extra curricular activity.” Simply translated, what they are actually saying is, “I have better
things to do with my time.” Down deep, I know that they would rephrase their remarks, if only they took a moment to think more carefully about
what they were saying. Sadly, society has effectively preached a different gospel; A gospel which entices families away from God, rather than
drawing them than closer to Him; A gospel supported by well funded, staffed and organized secular programs; A gospel requiring, at the
minimum, that parents need only drop their children off at the door, at the maximum, that they sit on the sidelines as observers.
Christ’s Gospel, as experienced through the Church, challenges us to go the next step, to get involved, to participate, and to touch the lives
of others! This was the example and wisdom our parents and grandparents imparted to us! This is the example and wisdom our children deserve
to receive from us!
On occasion, aging parents experience the pain of being neglected and rejected by their children. If parents feel that unique pain, imagine
the hurt God must feel when His children reject Him and accept other invitations for Sunday morning. However much we deceive ourselves into
thinking that we have better things to do than come to Church, thankfully, Christ keeps loving us and inviting us to His table!
Finally, there are those who avoid Church because they are afraid to enter into a meaningful relationship with God… because they know what
that relationship will demand...because they know that authentic relationships require commitment, honesty, sacrifice, and a purity of life,
the very things that stand in the way of hedonistic pleasure…because they know that by coming to God’s house, they are going to be reminded
of that which is necessary to strengthen our relationships with God and one another! As we stand by and witness the disintegration of the
family, I ask, is there anytime more pressing than the present to be reminded of such essential life and soul-saving realities?
The hazard of addressing the phenomenon of making excuses is the probability that consciences will be indicted. If the consequence of
ushering readers onto a guilt trip catalyzes them to redirect and embark upon an exciting and fulfilling spiritual journey, then this writer
unapologetically is glad to be the pilot! SEE YOU IN CHURCH ON SUNDAY!
Fr. Michael Index
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