Brad,
Thanks!  You know, Greg and I have said to ourselves, if we couldn't
be ourselves, and be real, we'd probably end up being confused
because, knowing us, we'd forget which face to put on where.  It's
just less complicated this way. GRIN!
Kathy


At 08:55 AM 12/26/2005, you wrote:
>Good to hear Kathy. I agree with the other sentiments regarding yawl's
>effectiveness on that community. In a strange way, perhaps Chris's
>rebellion shows to the community that things aren't perfect, Christians
>don't have to   live two lives. One of button collared and white picket
>fence, and the other that of having to deal with real lives, real problems
>of a family growing itself in the weed infested garden on Earth.
>Perhaps  instead of seeing and saying "oh dear, what kind of pastor would
>let his son behave in such way, how disgraceful, I would never do that..."
>and so on, perhaps they are saying "Wow, look at our pastor, even though he
>has things to work out in his family, like I do, he is still as real as you
>or I, and that makes me feel a part of a family, as though I'm not so off".
>So many folks put on smiles, wear ironed shirts, pat their kids on the head
>as they direct their children down the pew, take their wives wraps, sit in
>the pew straight postured, meanwhile   knowing when service is over, in the
>car the kids will bicker, he and his wife will likely argue about
>something, and the real life once again takes over. I bet we've all done
>that at one time or other. And of course it probably isn't wise to reply to
>every stranger approaching you in the meet and greet part of service asking
>"Good morning brother! How are you doing this morning?" and a reply coming
>forth as "Well I'll tell ya, I got financial issues, not sure I can make
>the house payment, my wife and I are not getting along and I fear she's
>falling out of love with me, my kids are rebellious, and I just don't feel
>that great lately". *smile* yet we ought not do the complete opposite
>either. Church ought to be a place we can count on for support and help
>when we need it, not a place we come to play act everything is alright if
>it in fact is not. Jesus didn't ask the 70 disciples to pray with  him at
>the garden, in fact he didn't even ask the 12, he asked only three. But he
>neither said, "hey guys, everything's OK, if you don't mind though, I'm
>just going to take a walk to check out the wildlife and I'll be back in a
>bit" and then run off and pray as sweat of blood would run down. So, your
>transparency of your family's trials with Chris may well have gone a long
>way to bring you and Greg more down to the level of your congregation in
>your congregation's eyes, and therefore bring a real sense of humanness and
>imperfectness in everyone. I love the saying "If you want people to stop
>shooting holes in your boat, put them in the boat with you" and that I
>think is what has occurred to some degree with yawl in Maine.
>
>Brad