An article from “Joyful Noiseletter” in Chicken Soup for the
Soul is both creative and challenging. It describes positive
action to a situation that may be familiar to many of us. It
deals with a number of remedies for a variety of excuses
often given for not attending church.
“
To make it possible for everyone to attend church next
Sunday, we are going to have a special ‘No Excuse
Sunday.’ Cots will be placed in the foyer for those who
say, ‘Sunday is my only day to sleep in.’ There will be a special section with lounge chairs for those who
feel that our pews are too hard. Eye drops will be available for those with tired eyes from watching TV
late Saturday night. We will have steel helmets for those who say, ‘The roof would cave in if I ever came
to church.’ Blankets will be furnished for those who think the church is too cold and fans for those who
say it is too hot. Scorecards will be available for those who wish to list the hypocrites present. Relatives
and friends will be in attendance for those who can’t go to church and cook dinner, too. We will distribute
‘
Stamp Out Stewardship’ buttons for those who feel the church is always asking for money. One section
will be devoted to trees and grass for those who like to seek God in nature. Doctors and nurses will be in
attendance for those who plan to be sick on Sunday. The sanctuary will be decorated with both Christmas
poinsettias and Easter lilies for those who never have seen the church without them. We will provide hearing aids for
those who can’t hear the preacher and cotton for those who can.” p 228-229
I’m sure none of you have ever used any of these excuses! No doubt none of you have ever needed a “No Excuse Sunday.” But the
principles apply to much more than church attendance. Our lives are often wrapped around a broad list of activities and opportunities.
The choice is whether we will take advantage of these or make excuses to avoid them.
A parable recorded in Luke 14: 16-35 describes a well planned and prepared for dinner. Many were invited to this spectacular event.
However, when the time came, all those first invited had decided to skip the party. All of them. Other things were more important so
The Pinecone
|
May 2014
• 9 •
f r om Don J oh n s on , K i r b y P i n e s Chap l a i n
Chaplain’s COrner
No More
Excuses
May Vesper
Serv ices
May 1st
Dr. Sandra Leatherwood Clay
Supt. of Asbury District in Memphis
Conference of United Mthodist Church
May 8th
Dr. Leon Sanderson
White Station Church of Christ
May 15th
Reverend Murray Garrott
Independent Presbyterian Church
May 22nd
Reverend Dr. Sam Brassell
Covenant Baptist
May 29th
Dr. William White
Lord of Life Lutheran
“
they all with one accord began to make excuses.” Each statement of the reason for
their declining the banquet invitation was totally invalid. Their excuses were shallow and
superfluous. For a little they gave up so much! For nothing they lost everything!
We use excuses to get out of doing something we don’t like or don’t want to do. Sadly,
the things we want to avoid are often the very best for us. We may never know the taste
of the dinner we decline if we seek for an avoidance excuse.
Don Wilder says, “Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure.”
How about looking at life more carefully? Why not consider closely the invitation offered
us to be a part of something far greater than even we deserve? Consider a
previous challenge: “If not this, what? If not now, when? If not you, who?”
The train was pulling out…the smoke was rising…the
whistle was blowing. A little boy came running down
the railway loading platform, reaching its end just as
the train pulled out. A man standing on the platform
said, “Son, you didn’t run fast enough!” Breathless,
the boy looked up and said, “Mister, I ran as fast
as I could…I just didn’t start soon enough!” The
boy wasn’t making an excuse. He was stating a
fact! We could miss the train, too, even though
we make every effort possible. We have to start
sooner. We have to begin now! No more excuses!
Till next time, Don Johnson, KP Chaplain
