Paying Attention
It is difficult to pay attention to anything anymore. In our era, there are a great many things we have available to distract us. Even if we leave aside the increasing demands of work and family life in our day, we are so inundated with media—television, radio, email, twenty-four hour news, social networking, and all the rest—that we hardly ever have time to really pay attention, to open our minds to truly contemplate and understand deep and important subjects.
There are three kinds of attention that human beings are capable of, two of which we share with other animals. Orienting attention allows us to assess our environment and meet our immediate needs, like finding food and shelter. Alarming attention allows us to be aware of danger and escape from predators. Executive attention, which is unique to human beings, is the ability to push those other two aside for a time and simply concentrate. It is how we are able to learn complex math or philosophy. Author and media ecologist T. David Gordon says that executive attention is like a muscle. It has to be used in order to grow and function properly. But in our era of distraction, our alarming attention is constantly being activated at the expense of our executive attention. This is why so many people do not read books anymore but simply scan for relevant information. It is why we cannot pay attention to speakers or complex pieces of music. And, Gordon says, in the Church, it is why we have a great deal of difficulty following a sermon that lasts for more than five minutes.
To be sure, the problem of being able to follow a sermon is not solely to be blamed on our inability to attend. In large measure, it is also the result of preachers who have never learned basic public speaking skills, much less how to coherently explain biblical texts. Nevertheless, the loss of our attention span for preaching is only the tip of the iceberg. According to Gordon and others in his field, in the American Church today, people are far less familiar with Scripture than they were two generations ago. There is very little Bible reading happening in homes. Where it was once common place for even the most uneducated person to be able to articulate the basics of Christian doctrine, today even those who grew up in the Church and attend worship regularly find themselves unable to give even the simplest account of the Gospel.
In an effort to make up for this loss, many churches have attempted to swim with the culture by providing more entertaining worship, eliminating churchy sounding words, playing popular music, and focusing sermons on life coaching instead of on sin and redemption. In some cases, this has led to rapid growth, but at the cost of true discipleship. The largest mega-church in America, Lakewood Church in Houston, has no cross on the wall, performs no baptisms, does not have communion during worship, and provides sermons that almost never focus on the atonement. This is a recipe for disaster, a Christianity without Christ. And studies continuously show that the popularity of mega-churches is unsustainable. They are big and popular, but they also have a huge amount of turn-over as scores of people leave each year, in search of something deeper or just the next big thing to capture their interest.
The Word of God that we find in Scripture is more than just a series of platitudes or rules for healthy living. It is the very life which our hearts seek to be made whole. It is what we need more than anything else in this world, more even than food and water. We do not have to be intellectual giants to understand God’s Word, but we do have to be willing and able to receive it. The more we are able to contemplate the Word of God, the fonder our hearts become, and the deeper we grow into the mystery of God. It is difficult for all of us, myself included, living in our distraction saturated culture, to exercise our executive attention to its fullest in receiving God’s Word, but the more we are able to do so, the more our patience and perseverance is rewarded with the love and hope that God plants and cultivates within us. Rather than trying to accommodate our waning attention spans, our churches ought to be challenging us to truly pay attention. “Let us attend!” says the Deacon over and over in some of the earliest Christian liturgies. Perhaps this is a word that we need today just as much as it was needed back then, if not more so.
At Holy Comforter, we may not have the most entertaining services, the hippest and flashiest music, or even the most exciting and titillating sermons, but we do have the Word of God, given to us in its fullness through our liturgy. And that Word is growing our parish, not just in terms of numbers, but also in terms of our knowledge and love of God and each other. May we always be so blessed.
Incidentally, if you have made it all the way to the end of this article, you have already shown a great ability for executive attention. Next time you see me, say the words “rubber band” to me and then give me a little knowing look. It will let me know that you read this and it will have the added benefit of confusing anyone who has not read it who happens to be standing nearby.
In His Mercy,
Fr. Jonathan
Bricks and Mortar
Jim Gardner
Hope everyone had a great summer. Although it was hot and dry, your Property team really liked those conditions.
Although Delaware County has not been declared drought-stricken, we are under a Drought Watch with lower than normal amounts of ground water. This is not such a bad thing for Holy Comforter. Because there has been so little rain, the building sustained minimal water damage while your Vestry has been negotiating very reasonable terms to pay for the new roof.
In the survey Vestry conducted to see what projects needed to be addressed, most people responded that we needed a new roof on the Parish hall and the church. The Property team had done a lot of research and discovered that a metal roof that simulates slate was reasonably priced and aesthetically acceptable. We found a company that wants to grow their business in the Philadelphia area and would work with us to accomplish our goals.
In late Spring, we noticed our new carpet in the hall was rippling. When we investigated, we discovered that the roof of the Sunday School building has holes in it. Water has been coming in, running along the joists and beams under the hallway and finally making a puddle in the electrical closet on the lower level. Insurance wouldn’t help us to fix the problem. We need a new roof on that building, also!
We mentioned the situation to Jim Szabo, the prospective roofer. He agreed to include replacing the flat roof in return for our allowing him to use Holy Comforter in his advertising. In his words; “It is our experience that awareness of Hi Tech - Hi Art products grows by neighborhood exposure. When people see our products, they want them. Special consideration is given to certain properties because of their location in areas of high demographics. Holy Comforter will be considered a “showcase” for our roofing products, and photographs of your finished roof will be featured in future promotions. The Property team has negotiated to have our address and phone number included in the advertisements to do some advertising for Holy Comforter, too.
To help Holy Comforter pay for re-roofing the entire property, Mr. Szabo found a slate company which will purchase our good and usable slates. The money from the sale will come directly to the church so we can use it toward our first roof payment. The company will even doing the hauling and has delivered pallets for our use. The roofer will load the A and B quality slates on the pallets. The slates which are not re-usable will be the only ones trashed. No broken pieces of slate to litter the ground... and $$ in our coffers.
At a special Vestry meeting on August 14, motions were made and passed to choose Hi-Tech Hi-Art as our roofer and a negotiating committee was appointed to get the best terms possible. On Thursday August 23, the Vestry special committee Mimi Lyon, Jack Davis, Dean Gray, Jim Gardner, and Wayne Lyon, as our legal representative, met with the roofer and his finance team and signed the contract and promissory note. We hope to begin replacing the roof on the Sunday School building before Labor Day. Holy Comforter has until December 1 to make the first monthly payment on our interest-free loan of $193,487.
Time to get the Capital Campaign under way so we can meet our obligations.
Zumba
Zumba is being held at 5:30-6:30 pm in the upper parish hall on Monday and Thursday evenings. For more information, contact instructor, Kristen Tirney, . First class $5, then $10 per class or $80 for 10 classes.
Children and Youth Ministry
Ethel F. Wesley
“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.” Habakkuk 3:18
As the new season for Sunday School is being planned, there were activities that took place before school closed. There are also people to be thanked who gave us a helping hand.
On the first Sunday in June, the entire Sunday School was invited to enjoy an afternoon at the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown. Students, teachers, and parents gathered to learn about the animals in God’s world. We witnessed creatures that fly, glide, swim, walk, and hop. It was great fun for all. Thankyou Robert Gilmore, Mimi and Wayne Lyon, Maria and Harry Thompson, Tina Transue, Liz Teres, David Cathcart, Nick and Donna Romero for all your help.
Saturday, June 23 found the Youth Group helping with the annual Pig Roast. We had an opportunity to sell desserts at that event. We had enough sweet treats to sell on both Saturday evening and after worship on Sunday morning. The proceeds once again are earmarked for future outreach projects. Thanks to Reed and Drew Armstrong, Hope and Brooke Morrison and their friend Meagan, Jacqueline and Alexis Hawkins and their friend Peter, and Ryan McElhaney for all they did.
Friday evening, June 29(a really hot and humid evening), found several of our Junior Youth members at the first Delaware Deanery Night at the Blue Rocks game in Wilmington. We are now part of the Delaware Deanery. The youth and their leaders have been gathering each month to have lunch, to share ideas, and to play games. Thanks go to Lorraine Bechtel for being one of the chaperones and to Anne and Bob Makim for driving their grandsons to the game. Those who attended were Noah Baldwin, Nick Newmiller, Noah Newmiller, and Michael Katrakazis. The evening ended with a win for the Blue Rocks and fireworks.
SUNDAY SCHOOL 2012-2013
Rally Day, Sunday, September 9, will find us once again beginning the Sunday School season and gathering for the Annual Parish Picnic. Registration opens at 9:15 a.m. in the Upper Parish Hall followed by the 10:00 a.m. service. Everyone is invited to the picnic on the front lawn. Hamburgers and hot dogs will be served. We are asking for donations of salads, chips, desserts, water, and soda for this event. A moon bounce will once again provide a fun activity for the children of the parish.
As we look at the ages and new grades of our Sunday School children, two new classes are needed this year. We have a large 1st and 2nd grade class and a definite 7th and 8th grade group. In order for these classes to be created, new teachers and substitute teachers are needed this year. Can you help? Do you feel called to this ministry? If these classes are to be realized, materials will need to be ordered and classroom space will need to be planned. Please know that by teaching in teams, you would not be responsible for the entire year. It would be a shared ministry with another teacher.
Contact the church office or speak to Ethel Wesley or Chris Stanley if you can help. All of our children are depending on us to tell them “the story” and to “share our Christian journey” with them. Please keep the Sunday School, the Youth Group, and the teachers in your prayers.
September 9 – Rally Day
9:15 Registration, 10:00 Worship and 11:30 Picnic
September 16 – Opening Day of Sunday School
10:00 Children’s Chapel and 11:15 Class Time (Please note new time.)
September 23– Youth Group Meeting, 5:30- 7:30 p.m.(Please note new time.)
September 30 – Deanery Fall Kick-Off, BBQ Lunch @ All Saints, Collingdale, 1- 3 p.m.
BADBOYS
The BADBOYSSenior mens' group will have its next breakfast at the Court Diner, Media, Monday, September 17, beginning at 8:30-45 a.m. If you have never attended in the past and would like to meet present and past members of the Holy Comforter family in an "informal" atmosphere, please feel free to join us. Call Dave Irving, 610 566- 4851, and he’ll be pleased to provide a quick overview of this welcoming group of men.
Women of Holy Comforter
Rosemary Davis, President
The Women’s Group is planning several great events this year, which will include opportunities for service, reflection, community and fundraising. We are hoping that there will be something for everyone and that all women of the parish will participate.
One of our new events will be a “Sip and Shop” Girl’s night out, which will be held on a Saturday evening in October. We will have a select group of vendors available to provide some great goods for fall. Further information will be available shortly. If you know anyone who would be interested in participating as a vendor please contact me ( ). Anyone interested in working on the committee for this, please contact me as well.
There will also be a general meeting and lunch scheduled for a weekday in late September.
Other things to look for:
- Christmas greens sale
- Annual appearance by the Encore Singers
- Dinner Dance at Springfield Country Club
- Spring plant sale
- A Lenten quiet day of prayer/retreat
Sunday / Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday / Saturday
30
Deanery Fall Kick-Off BBQ, 1-3 pm / 1
2 / 3 LABOR DAY / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8
8a Holy Eucharist Rite I / 5:30pZumba
10a Holy Eucharist Rite II / 7p AA meeting LPH / 7:30p Choir Rehearsal
9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15
8am Holy Eucharist Rite I
10a Holy Eucharist Rite II
Rally Day and Picnic / 5:30p Zumba UPH
7p AA meeting LPH / 5:30p Zumba
7:30p Choir Rehearsal
16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22
8a Holy Eucharist Rite I
10a Holy Eucharist Rite II
Ministry Sunday
Sunday School Begins / 8:30a BADBOYS
5:30p Zumba UPH
7p AA meeting LPH / 7:15p Vestry Meeting / 5:30p Zumba
7:30p Choir Rehearsal
Comforter Deadline
23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 29
8a Holy Eucharist Rite I
9a Lay Readers Meeting
10a Holy Eucharist, Rite II
11:30a Gideon Society / 5:30p Zumba UPH
7p AA meeting LPH / 5:30p Zumba
7:30p Choir Rehearsal / Wedding
5:30p Youth Group
Regular Weekly Services: Monday thru Thursday, 9:30 am Morning Prayer and 4:30 pm Evening Prayer and Wednesday, HE with Healing, 10 am
Abbreviations:HE = Holy Eucharist; UPH = upper parish hall; LPH = lower parish hall; PR=Piano Room; Lib =Library; YR=Youth Room