Yesterday I wrote that when we claim we don’t have enough time for church, it is really code for “I don’t want to”. Today I’ll say that living in the U.S. right now is like living in a time-sucking vortex of anxiety and despair.  Or maybe that’s just what it feels like when I get 30 minutes of uninterrupted silence to write in my home office.  And there is no way that we have enough time for anything, really.

My wife is in retail management, which means her hours are inconsistent and all over the place.  Last week she opened a bunch.  This week she’s closing.  Last week I had time at night to run off by myself.  This week, I have to steal late morning time against my wife’s preference for help staying sane.  I have virtually no time to hang out with my other dad buddies because they work jobs in the city and get up at the a-crack of dawn.  Getting any of us to go to something on a weekday night at church?  You better be offering free lottery tickets along with a babysitter and good beer.  Or at least Chinese food.  I miss that.

There isn’t time.  We’re exhausted all the time.  Planning and playing, working and cleaning; there really doesn’t seem like there’s enough time to even chat with my wife, let alone set aside time for church.

Ah, but we would if we really wanted to.  If it were truly important enough, we’d do it.  My wife would plan for Wednesday nights off.  We’d get a babysitter.  And since we don’t, what does that say?

I met a parishioner, something like nine months after starting at one of my parishes.  She happily professed that she comes to worship monthly.  And after nine months, I was just getting the chance to talk with her.  I understand busy, and I understand the challenge that is getting the family out of bed and over to worship, but monthly?  I’m not trying to be critical or snarky, because this was a nice woman, but we can’t consider something important if we miss it 75-80% of the time.

My plea is that we act how we wish we’d act.  We go where we wish we’d go.  Instead of having church be a distant third, at least make it a closer third.  You know, within sniffing distance.  Throw it a bone that says, yeah, this is important.  And while you’re doing that, get the church leadership to stop complaining that nobody ever shows up.  I guarantee the problem really isn’t time, it’s how you think you have to spend it and how you are asked to spend it.

And that can be changed.

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