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Joni wrote:
Last week we had Stake Conference. We just got un-gerrymandered (is that a word?) so I literally had two stake conferences, in two different stakes, in back-to-back months. But the new stake we’re in actually puts together a stake choir for conferences, and since I don’t have to drive an hour each way, I was able to participate along with my 14 year old daughter. (She is ambivalent about the church, but loves to sing.)
Yeah, I know the feeling; I’ve started going back to the Methodist church after Sacrament meeting in part because the local ward can’t have a choir.
Technically there’s nothing keeping them from having a choir, but everyone that’s called to lead it vanishes.
Seriously; the last three received the calling and were never seen in the ward again after accepting it. There was talk of using that calling as an easier alternative to excommunication for the truly unrepentant.
I attended my previous ward. F&T: The very last person to give a testimony talked about not “knowing” and not having to know.
SS: A person that was baptized while I was WML was teaching the lesson. It was nice to see him again and to see how the church has blessed his life.
PH: I’m sure the last person to give a testimony had a time with this lesson because it was all about the importance of saying “I know” during your testimony. It was a DHO talk from nearly a decade ago and I was surprised because the rest of the talk sounded like things he’s said more recently. Either time is slipping out from under me at an accelerated rate or DHO likes to hit the same talking points. I probably should have stepped in to defend the ‘not knowing but that’s okay’ guy but people were having far too much fun knowing things.
I could also infer from things that were said that the disaffected are weighing heavily on the mind of their EQP. I could tell that he loved them and wanted them back… but at the same time fails to realize that constantly implying that they are wrong or deceived is counter to that goal.
Our FT meeting was interesting because of one particular member. He is a high position in a local corporation. He said: (paraphrased)
Quote:I don’t particularly agree with or understand some of the policies or programs of the church. I know that I am a better person for being in the church than outside the church.
I’ve never heard that before. Some of us agree with that, we just don’t verbalize it. Especially in a F&T meeting. In the olden days, it never would of been heard. Or, at the very least, the Bishop would of gotten up & given a rebuttal.
So, ugh. F&T yesterday, aka open mic Sunday. One testimony, a sister got up to explain that her formerly LDS friend had commented to her that she was now starting to see that conservatives are the polite, nice ones and the liberals are mean and judgmental. The disgust on my face was certainly visible to anyone on the stand, or at least I hope so. Sore winners should quit complaining about sore losers. On the upside, within seconds my friend texted me from a few rows back (during sacrament meeting):
Quote:FRIEND: Haha
FRIEND: crying emoji
Me: SMH. This ward.
FRIEND: I know
Me: Feeling the loss of [our mutual former] ward today
FRIEND: I know. I feel like that pretty much every Sunday.
FRIEND: I’m just hanging in there and hoping I can help make a change.
Me: Yep. Discouraging.
FRIEND: Xoxo
Me: Same to you
Having allies helps.
Our PH opening exercises were interesting this morning. We had a visitor introduce himself & said he used to be from the inner city branch. He recognized some of the members from the branch & then sat down. (Nothing boastful or fancy.) Another member stood up & continued
the rest of his story. The city branch was primarily an inner city church. Mostly black members. This man joined the church with his family
when he was in high school. His life was described as a sky rocket once he joined the church. He completed High School. Went on a mission.
When he got back from his mission, he went to college, received a degree & became a teacher. He got married & started a family. He became
a Bishop & is now a Principal in a high school in Texas. For me, that was worth the price of admission.
I am piling two weeks together on this. The last two Sundays were exceptional from my point of view. Very Christ centered or Service Centered Sacrament Meetings.
Last week the two speakers touched on Serving in the Church. The first one started out as toe the line, accept your callings, stop complaining type deal. Then midway through, as if they felt like they had done the part they were supposed to, they veered off. They stuck to the topic but then talked about President Monson was urging us to balance our church time better. From there she shared two or three experiences where people chose or felt impressed to not attend some extra meeting and instead stay home with family. It was amazing.
The next speaker gave an amazing talk about the power of love and it’s affect on us. He was a great story/account teller – he began with his childhood and teen experiences. Sharing details of family loss and loving acts, that were not assignments, that made all the difference in their lives. Not just church lives, but college, depression and so on.
We Sang – A Poor Wayfaring Man. Perfect Ending.
This week was Dry Council Sunday.
The first man up to bat talked about Love. He covered family love, dating/marriage love, God love, self love. He even encouraged kids to be selfish when they were dating. Take time. Lots of time to get to know the person you think you love. See their flaws. Acknowledge the differences. Because your going to have a long time with this person.
The second speaker spoke on Christ like Service. On the why and wherefores that such service could look or feel like. It was a talk I should have recorded. He distinctly mentioned including those in the margins. Don’t shy away from people who look or appear different or are different. We are each His. He talked about Bishops being over everyone, including non members, in their ward boundaries. He shared uplifting accounts of real service given.
Both speakers referenced the Bible multiple times. Paul’s writings, the Sermon on the Mount and examples from Jesus life.
I am hoping we are on a roll here. I know I’d like it if we did.
In full disclosure…I skipped church for the 2nd week in a row. I was selfish with time I wanted to myself.
Nothing happened, and I don’t have much to report…except…I have issues. Working on it. I will try church next 2 weeks to compare how I feel.
Thank you all for sharing your experiences. They inspire me.
Summer is for vacations Heber. No details necessary. There’s the Good things that happen at churchLet’s see.
July 2nd. I got to hear a woman bless the bread during SM. That was kinda cool. (I decided to check out our local CoC) July 9th. Out of town. I was probably stuck in traffic during the church hours… yes, all three of them. July 16th. Stay on the boat… and one way to do it is to only have one set of piercings in each ear. :thumbup: That’s one more set than I currently have. I’m behind.😳 Sunday School was kinda neat. The meeting started out on a bad note, implications that god makes bad stuff happen to you in your life when you are being disobedient. Kind of a bummer, I wanted to speak up, but I still went with my vow of silence after the comments I made during the Thomas B. Marsh lesson.
:shh: Some other people spoke up though. Someone said that the saints brought some of their persecutions upon themselves… which could be seen as a real life application of bad stuff happening when you’re being bad, what goes around comes around, but it was refreshing to hear something other than the victim card being played. Another person piped up and said that trials in life can help us learn to be empathetic. I really enjoyed those comments.HP: It was the self reliance lesson. We complained about how lazy the youth are and how they don’t know how to fix cars. I’m oversimplifying but if I had to come up with a theme, that was it.
🙂 mom3 wrote:This week was Dry Council Sunday.
Ahem.
Glad you’re on a roll. This past week was great despite the “dry council” speaker. The week before was horrendous. We’ve been more down than up of late. Except HPG wsn’t bad – we talked about spiritual and temporal self reliance (more on spiritual) and the HPGL who was teaching really really tried hard to redirect every time prepper stuff came up – and he was pretty successful
Best Relief Society Opening – A man did the job. Seriously. Normally my feminism would find it irritating but today it was the best laugh. The Relief Society President didn’t want to conduct. He’d popped his head in to find his wife. With flourish and delight he took the job. We all laughed. It was fun.
Now all we need is for the role to be reversed.
mom3 wrote:
Best Relief Society Opening – A man did the job.Seriously. Normally my feminism would find it irritating but today it was the best laugh. The Relief Society President didn’t want to conduct. He’d popped his head in to find his wife. With flourish and delight he took the job. We all laughed. It was fun.
Now all we need is for the role to be reversed.
I did this once in High Priests meeting. I had someone from the RS presidency come and teach. She essentially taught from the book of Brene Brown. I thought it was the best lesson ever, but I also knew of the struggle this sister has gone through to find herself. I think some of the HP’s were near snoozing (as usual) and didn’t even get what she was talking about.
I almost left church yesterday in GD class as the teacher was just gloating about how inspiring it was that the last few days she was telling people she was a member of the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints. She went on for a while about this. Then an older sweet but simple minded sister asked, “but what do we say when someone asks what religion we are? That is so long.”
Quote:Then an older sweet but simple minded sister asked, “but what do we say when someone asks what religion we are? That is so long.”
Give that woman a hug.
Today’s 3rd hour was mind blowing in a good way. The Stake Presidency sent a lesson about loving our members and non-members with Same Sex Attraction.
Feel free to choke on the title – but this was monumental. I don’t know how it went in other wards, but in ours the lesson brought so many tears. It was beautifully delivered. None of the standard tropes were thrown out. Quotes were from Mormonandgay.org. In the end the teacher shared about her gay son and his recent marriage. Both the challenge and the joy of that experience.
I have a full afternoon. I will write more later.
The closing song was Carol Lynn Pearsons Primary Hymn. “I’ll Walk With You”
The woman offering the closing prayer could barely get the words out through her tears.
It was a great meeting.
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
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