The Mission of a Parish Mission?

I have sat in almost every seat in the church.
As a child, a teen, a musician, a priest, a husband, and a dad.
I've listened to many terrible homilies
and I've given worse.
I've fallen asleep and I've been moved.
Yesterday I looked around and noticed the empty pews.

My next thought was--what does a parish usually do in order to 'jump start' attendance?
You got it.....
A Parish Mission.
A time to refocus and recommit and reconcile.  Yep same approach for---ever.

I recall when I was in high school of attending a parish mission at my home church.
They put all the high school kids in one room.
I don't remember what we talked about.
I do remember that there were a lot of kids. (Then again, that was when the church still commanded a presence in the community and life in the scandals had yet become public knowledge.)
I wondered if we were on the verge of some kind of 'renewal'
Months later nothing really seemed to change other than we had a phone chain to call and remind kids of a meeting.

Years later I attended another mission at the same church.
I still don't remember what the topic was.
I do remember holding hands to say the Our Father.
Lots of people--then months later the same.

Then as an assistant priest I recall hosting a mission at the parish.
I vaguely remember one talk on the Prodigal Son and the response of the Father.
I recall having some hope that something really cool with the Holy Spirit would happen in the parish.
I think there were some good confessions.
Months later the numbers remained the same and the liturgical routine continued.

We had a few attempts at evening 'mission-type' approaches to parish ministry in the Episcopal Church.
Same story--excitement then eventual status quo.

I remember attending a parish mission just a few years back--I watched these two guys offer prayers of healing and then rub vaseline intensive care into the palms of the people.
weird.
The church had people in it every evening--which goes to show you that people really don't care even if you spread hand cream on them.
But then the eventual norm took over--same routine.

A wealth of parish programs and missions are available and even marketed.
Even speakers and retreat masters are marketed today. 

So...there must still be a desire.
But for what?
for who?

And the ultimate question...What good is it?

Sure the argument could be made for that 'one' soul that comes to Christ.  But I am not asking for a reason, I'm just wondering why there doesn't seem to be a staying power with parish missions and faith programs.  

I like the approach St James parish (Medjugorje) uses which is basically to get out of the way and allow the Blessed Mother to take your hand and put it in her Son's.
Their approach?
Fasting, Rosary, Eucharist, Scripture, Confession.  Nothing new.
What if a parish simply did that?

Michael Ripple is author of A Lost Shepherd, An Ex-Priest's Journey from Sin to Salvation
New Hope Press 2013.

Cello Jokes and the Spiritual Life

Yes, I have heard a bunch of cello jokes since my last entry.

By far the shortest and best one was---"There is always room for cello"

True humor is intrinsic and the truth it shares needs to peek through just a little.

For me, the fewer the words--the better.

My father is in his 90's and is an old violinist.

After scratching and getting hand, neck, arm, and finger cramps--I will usually bring the cello over to his room, set it down, and go about some other business.  Eventually I will hear a beautiful sound.

It's Dad--using his old horsehair bow.  

Perhaps I won't ever be able to sound like him--but it isn't about that is it?

It's about memories.

All because of a cello.

All because of a gift from my wife and my desire to learn something new.

So I began to think...Often we go through the spiritual life (or not go through it) doing and saying and performing the same disciplines and it can become mundane.  
The fact is--there are many spiritual 'gifts' out there.  We need only to have the desire to accept and try it.
Try a 'new' spiritual practice, shake it up a bit.

Maybe begin to journal.

Or say a different prayer.

Maybe change the spiritual routine--throw in a true bread and water fast, or read a different book, or do a consecration.  

Often times the fruits aren't what we expect.

The Cello

My lovely wife bought me a cello.
I received a cello, a bow, some rosin, and a beginner's book (plus a cool t-shirt and a notepad)
Yesterday I played 'crunching cookies' on the open strings of A D G & C.

I am learning something new--well into middle age--and it sounds awful (no really, it does sound awful)

I love it.

Of course my cello event reminds me of the spiritual journey.
Receiving the cello was very exciting--just like receiving any gift.  Alone and untouched the cello propped in the middle of my little room held promise and possibility.  Beautiful pieces of music lay in the wood and strings.
I had some chores and duties to take care of before I could devote the time to my first official practice and I couldn't finish them quick enough.  During those hours I imagined myself picking up the instrument with ease and it would only be six months or so before I could play some nice pieces and audition as a chamber musician.
I closed my door, rosined the bow, opened the book (adjusted the angle of the book several times due to bifocals), positioned the instrument and.......

I know what I want to hear, but my hand cramped before I could even get each string to play by itself.

A force in the spiritual life is one's will.  The goal being a total uniting of one's will to God's will--spiritual union, a marriage of the soul to Christ.  Such a journey involves moments when the soul is initially attracted to its final purpose as well as times when the soul feels abandoned by the very Love it seeks.

I clearly desire to learn how to play the cello.  It enticed me for years with the beauty of its music and the promise that I could learn how to play.

The difference between the journey of the cello and the journey of the spirit?  There is more hope for the soul's union.

I have my first official lesson this Saturday