Finding My Religion - Post Mortem

or What Was I Waiting For, A Slap in the Face?

Three weeks ago, I had probably the worst migraine headache in years.  I was very nauseous, and I did something I have only done a few times in the last 20 years: closed my music studio.  However, in the midst of everything I also sent a letter to our church's moderator regarding my complete disappointment in our church.  I would have posted the letter here (in fact it was online for maybe 2 hours), but Jim wasn't keen on the intimate sharing of the document.  However, in all honesty, my readers could probably construct a letter with blog entries.  If you are new to this blog, here is the link to earlier entries: Finding My Religion

The initial response made my letter seem like an annoyance.  I was told that I should have gone to the church counsel meeting and voiced my concern.  I just shook my head in disbelief.  I responded that with three job schedules and two children and their schedules, coming to church meetings is not always possible.  Plus I was very uncomfortable getting up and reading my letter in front of everyone.

Then nothing.  Of course that is until yesterday.

One Last Mission
In order to feel completed, I decided to champion a mini mission to be completed before Christmas.  The church has been collecting pop-tops for the Ronald McDonald House for many years.  A few years ago, the Sunday School took the collected tops to the Detroit RMH.  It was a great field trip, but nothing has happened since.  So I decided to organize an effort to help support the Ann Arbor facility.  I did research and wrote an article for the messenger and weekly bulletin.  I sent the article and got confirmation from the pastor (who I had copied on the email).  Yesterday I got the messenger, and was my write up in it?  Nope.  A small statement that I was doing the mission, but nothing about what the collection actually accomplishes for the Ronald McDonald House charity.  The bulletin blurb has also not happened.

I realize that the secretary and/or pastor (who manages the messenger) are not the same people who made the decision to use the Sunday School room and Nursery for the Rummage Sale.  They are not the same people who are not interested in doing more mission work.  However, I felt the slap on my face pretty loud and clear.  And I must admit I cried.

I sent an immediate email to the secretary and copied the moderator (who pretty much wrote my earlier letter off), the pastor, and Jim.  I simply stated that the article I wrote did not appear, and why was that.  This morning I got a very emotional response from the secretary, which basically said that she has been preoccupied this month and that I could come into her office and yell at her if I wish.  It also appeared that the original email I sent with the article was far from her memory.  So I sent an email with the original article email attached.  Here is what I wrote:

Here is the "blurb" I wished to have in the messenger as well as a condensed version for the bulletin. I thoroughly understand being preoccupied with life, however, I gave this to you in plenty of time to fit it into the messenger.

I am not going to come into the office and yell at you, that is not in my nature (nor is it productive). However, I am very disheartened that the time I took to write the above was not appropriately given space in the messenger. I wanted people in the church to understand the mission, not just read that someone is finally doing something with the pop tabs.

The blurb that did appear was on the Minister's Pen page, not really an appropriate placement for a mission. However, I noticed a very nice write up for Joseph in there as well as almost an entire page for Pat's humor column.

I actually just found out this week that there is a competition between the Ann Arbor Ronald McDonald House and the Toledo one. The pop tabs need to be delivered before Thanksgiving. I will see to it that our donation is part of the competition.

Thank you.

Then I get a response from the moderator suggesting I select 5 or 6 church members for a meeting regarding my letter to him from three weeks ago.  So now I pray...