Rough Sunday

Sorry about you bad day. We all have those. I kind of thought mine was bad until I read about yours. So… take it slow, focus on what you do believe, and don’t dump all at once.

Personally, I’ve been dealing with ministering the same way I dealt with home teaching. I just don’t do it. That’s not totally true, of course, I do minister all the time. But I don’t go to those I have been assigned to, although one family we have been friends with for 25+ years and we do have regular contact with them. I told my EQP he could assign me whoever he wants, but if it’s someone that requires monthly visits or is otherwise “high need” and more than a Sunday hallway chat can fix, it won’t get done. I know they are in the midst of a major revamp at the moment, so I’ll see what happens. Likewise, I have known many people over the years who have accepted callings, perhaps only because they thought they weren’t supposed to or couldn’t say no, yet had no intention of doing the job and just waited the few months until they were released. Passive resistance at its best.

All that said, as you are well aware I did take a very long break. I can’t advise against it and I think sometimes it’s necessary. You’ll definitely find out who your friends are(n’t). And, it’s much easier to stop going than it is to start – just my experience, your mileage may vary.

I’ve shared this before, but it has helped me in the past. Joseph B. Worthlin:

I think of how dark that Friday was when Christ was lifted up on the cross.

On that terrible Friday the earth shook and grew dark. Frightful storms lashed at the earth.

Those evil men who sought His life rejoiced. Now that Jesus was no more, surely those who followed Him would disperse. On that day they stood triumphant.

On that day the veil of the temple was rent in twain.

Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were both overcome with grief and despair. The superb man they had loved and honored hung lifeless upon the cross.

On that Friday the Apostles were devastated. Jesus, their Savior—the man who had walked on water and raised the dead—was Himself at the mercy of wicked men. They watched helplessly as He was overcome by His enemies.

On that Friday the Savior of mankind was humiliated and bruised, abused and reviled.

It was a Friday filled with devastating, consuming sorrow that gnawed at the souls of those who loved and honored the Son of God.

I think that of all the days since the beginning of this world’s history, that Friday was the darkest.

But the doom of that day did not endure.

The despair did not linger because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death. He ascended from the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind.

And in an instant the eyes that had been filled with ever-flowing tears dried. The lips that had whispered prayers of distress and grief now filled the air with wondrous praise, for Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God, stood before them as the firstfruits of the Resurrection, the proof that death is merely the beginning of a new and wondrous existence.

Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.

No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come.

Oh my friend – this hurts. Even if you take and LDS/Mormon/Church of Taco break please stop by here. You bring good insights, skills and much needed humor.

Your leaders, as I understand it, are the ones out of line. Sadly that doesn’t help. They are still the leaders and you have them in your space.

nibbler, I’m with Ray. That is simply outrageous for your leaders to refuse to accept your opt out.

Every once in a while I forget that church and callings are voluntary until my husband reminds me. We had a bishop in Singapore when we first moved there who came to say hello. People moved in and out all the time–long assignments were 2 years, and many were there just 6 months at a time. He said “Some people choose to take this expat assignment as an opportunity to skip church and not participate while they are living in Asia. We expect you to help with the ward and come to meetings unless you are out of country.” I kind of shrugged that off, thinking “Man, it must suck to be a bishop in this situation”–the ward was 100% expats. My husband was actually really pissed about it. “How dare he think he can intimidate people into participation?! Church is voluntary. We don’t owe him anything.” Regardless his distaste for this bishop’s approach, we did always attend and we both held callings. It just rubs him the wrong way when people act like they can force you to do church things.