Catholic Ragemonkey

Notes from the First Ministerial Alliance Meeting:That's What I Get From Volunteering

So, today was the first meeting of Alva's ministerial alliance. For those not in the know, ministerial alliances are ecumenical efforts between Christian ministers in a particular area for various good causes. I have noticed, at least as Oklahoma goes, that ministerial alliances are much more prevelant in rural areas rather than the bigger cities. In general, I find the meetings stimulating and often instructive on speaking to non-Catholics about the Catholic Faith. It's evangelization all the time in my office.

Anyway, today was our first meeting of the new year and we had to get some basic committees in place. The biggest one is the Thanksgiving Service committee. It has been the tradition in Alva to have an ecumenical prayer service the Sunday before Thanksgiving. When I was new in town, I was extended the privilege of preaching that service. As I recall I preached on the text of the man born blind, noting that even adversity leads to thanksgiving for it puts us in the path of God's intervention and glorification, or something like that. When the topic came up, I was the first to volunteer to assist in this service. I don't know why I volunteered other than I thought I could make a good contribution there. But that isn't the end of this.

When the topic of who'd chair the committee came up, I heard the line I dreaded. "Well, you volunteered first; you're the chair." So now I have to get moving on yet another project which hopefully won't absorb too much time on the side. But that's what you get for volunteering. Some one asks for one mile and you are called upon to give two. We'll keep you informed of progress.