- Image by DavidErickson via Flickr
We missed spring.
The second straight year of record breaking snow fall simply evaporated one day in April. The next day, children began their count down to the end of school, winter-worn adults flew up north to their cottages to turn on the heat, and the Packers began issuing press releases about Brett Favre’s imminent return from retirement. News reporters searched high and low for a someone to blame for kidnapping spring – surely an evil mastermind choreographed the capture of April showers and May flowers – but no credible evidence was ever found (Brett Favre’s agent was interviewed, but he claimed ignorance of Brett’s involvement – although a text message from his brother later confirmed that Brett was somehow involved).
Summer is here.
Summer does crazy things for people up here in Wisconsin. The bleakness of winter coupled with the harried school-year schedule make people yearn to be set free for the summer (me included!). Everything changes – our focus, our priorities, even our traffic patterns. Rush hour switches from the regular workday 8am and 5pm to the Get-Up-North-As-Fast-As-Possible Fridays at 4pm and Sundays at 6pm.
Where is Church?
As the population flees the wintery life for the joy of swimming, boating, and hiking through beautiful pine forests, they inevitably flee their church routine also. Churches reduce their number of services, anticipating their members’ new weekend routine. They cancel learning opportunities for children and adults for the summer, and refuse to plan events because the usual volunteers are busy vacationing. As people transitioned this year, our church saw our attendance drop from 1500 people on the May 17th weekend down to 500 on Memorial Day weekend. Where did the other 1000 people (including my family) go? Did they gather with other believers in their vacation town? Was Jesus important to them that weekend?
What do you think? (you’ll find out what I think on Sunday & Monday)
