September 3, 2009
Guarantees for a problem free life?
You have been hearing about our air-infiltration problems and the $40,000+ bill that will be arriving soon. I thought you might welcome a bit more background and information.
As we were preparing to celebrate our first Christmas in our new home, a cold wave with strong winds from the west also joined us for this December feast. We became aware of very cold drafts entering the building and temperature in the upper 20’s and low 30’s above the ceiling tiles. The major initial concern was the fire sprinkler system above the ceiling of the church. Would they freeze up and break? We gathered our architect and construction partners who came quickly, crawled all throughout the building, stuffed new insulation in various places, and drained the water from our fire sprinkler system and replaced it with an “anti-freeze” to protect us from freezing damage. That helped us get through Christmas.
Our partners reviewed the construction documents to attempt to identify where this air could be coming from. They crawled into every corner of the building they could to locate the source of the drafts. There was no quick or easy explanation for these drafts. Our situation was presented at various conferences and groups for “new eyes” to identify the problem and solutions. Over the years a variety of strategies were agreed upon by the architect and the parish to resolve the issue. The architect has spent almost $35,000 to resolve the issue. The parish has purchased materials and provided parishioner labor for other strategies. However the issue was still not completely resolved. The construction partner walked away from the problem and has since gone out of business.
Last summer our architect engaged a consultant who specializes in air-infiltration issues to help resolve our problems. We came up with a new strategy which was tested earlier in the year and found to be successful. This summer contractors completed the work. They found areas in the building where air could easily get in – an inch here or 4 inches there all adds up. We believe the insulation and caulking have finally resolved our problem.
In this last effort we agreed to fix the problem and not look to place blame. We pursued legal action for the construction partner’s builder’s risk insurance but were advised against it for additional costs this would create with no guarantees to recover our legal fees or project costs. Since there was no construction partner at the table to share the financial costs for our problem, I agreed the parish would need to do so.
I can certainly understand anger at the parish having to pay to fix a new building but I have learned that “new” does not guarantee there will be no problems. It can happen with a house, a car, a computer, a stove, or a church.
You may be wondering what the big deal is about some drafts in our building. Well freezing our sprinkling system is one major concern. Another is the use of our natural resources. When cold winter winds come into our building, it calls for heat to be warmed. Our heat also leaves the building and does nothing to raise the outside temperature. It works the same for air-conditioning in the summer. Doing nothing means more than living with a little discomfort. It means wasting our natural resources and the money to pay for them.
How long will it take to “pay back” our investment? That is a great question. We will begin to create a savings column in the bulletin for our gas and electricity costs as a result of the work done this summer. There is never a good time to pay for such unexpected emergencies. This will deplete our savings from the sale of the Parish Center. I ask for your help once again – to make sacrifices in gratitude for the bounty God has given you and us.
March 12, 2009
Lent – What about now?
Now what! I need it now – not yesterday! I want it now! Now is not a good time. That’s never going to happen! No! I just can’t or won’t. Not in my lifetime. No way. No how!
Being anxious about the future or carrying regrets from the past can make it very difficult to stay in the present – the here and now. It is easy to be so busy that we lose any awareness of the present moment and its opportunities or graces. Being overwhelmed with life and just trying to survive can result in saying no to anything new. Gaining perspective is an important challenge for those who want to grow in maturity and holiness. Perspective can come from reflecting on one’s life, someone else’s life, as well as the challenges of the moment. Let me share an email I received:
“I was watching a program on TV last night. It was about the effect that the current economy is having on people and the changes in lifestyles. It focused on a family that hadn’t been living very comfortably. The mother made at least $70,000 per year before she lost her job over a year ago. Since then they’ve lost their home and are living in an apartment that they can’t really afford but the landlord is helping them out until they get back on their feet. The interviewer asked her if she had it to do over again what she would do differently. She responded that of course she would save more but that she would also tithe. I was floored (and inspired) by this. In the face of her current struggles she wished that when she had more she would have given more to others. There’s a homily in there!”
Lent is that invitation to learn to say “no” to those habits and behaviors that are harmful and to say “yes” to habits and behaviors that will lead to greater health, deeper faith, or more serenity and holiness. The first step is often the most difficult. There is no time like NOW!
March 4, 2009
Lent – What about energy and enthusiasm?
Living can be hard work and ever so tiring. Long, cold winters do not help. The anxiety about our economy can deaden our hopes and dreams and fill us with fear and dread. The daily demands and routines can tempt us to be on “auto pilot” and unaware of what is happening inside us or around us. We can dream about spring or summer or a different time and place but it still does not change the “here and now.” It is all too easy to be weary and down on life.
So where does your life come from? Who brings life to you? Who do you bring life to? Where does your energy and enthusiasm come from? Lent can give us the opportunity to take a closer look. What do you see?
It may be easier to identify what deadens your energy and life, e.g. other people, habits, your employer or coworkers, family, neighbors, politics, fears, past experiences, waiting for something to change while continuing to do the same thing over and over, illness, death. The list can go on and on. Can we eliminate or change or remove ourselves from any of these situations? What are the excuses we make to keep ourselves stuck in life-destroying situations? What we give energy to tends to have power over us. Who or what consumes your thoughts and feelings?
Enthusiasm comes from the Greek “en theos” which has to do with God which suggests to me that it is very important. We who choose to follow Christ want very much to be about God. We would be wise to be very aware of whom or what brings that rush of enthusiasm and energy into our lives and our world. It may be possible to purchase energy bars or drinks or “stuff” to give us a boost, but they tend to be short term and wear off. Where do you find that deep and sustaining source of energy and enthusiasm? Have you noticed that enthusiasm is contagious and changes people? Have you noticed that energy and enthusiasm can result from helping those in need or from exercising? It almost feels counter-intuitive to give away or use up our energy but it is how we are renewed and find more life and energy. It may be tempting to think we can “run out” and therefore we need to keep some in reserve. So often we can fear a scarcity and then the grace of enthusiasm and energy come into our lives and then there is abundance. God is about life and about abundance.
So where do you find energy and enthusiasm? It may be wise to express gratitude for that gift and to re-dedicate your commitment to those people, places, and habits that bring you life.
February 25, 2009
Lent is here! Now What?
It’s Lent again! So now what? It is a period of 40 days – in biblical terms that means a significant period of time. What is this time for? That is the question!
One answer could be that it is time to listen and look. Perhaps that sounds easy and simple but it isn’t. That is why we are invited to do Lent together. We need to be reminded that these days are meant to be different for us so that we might be different! So who are what gets are best listening and looking? What catches our attention? What do we return to over and over again? What are we avoiding or closing our eyes and ears to? This is a time to “turn down the volume” and “tune in” more clearly to what is happening in our lives – especially as a baptized disciple of Jesus.
“How are you?” is a very common greeting – so common that we don’t expect anyone to really tell us or listen to our answers. Lent is a good time to ask “how are you” with
- Yourself
- The members of your household
- The earth we share with the other members of our planet
- The poor and hungry and homeless
- Your church
- Your faith
- Your God
As you listen and look at your life and the lives around you,
- What brings you life and hope?
- What brings you illness, destruction, and despair?
- When do you listen and look? (Sounds like prayer to me.)
- Would anyone be able to tell that you are a disciple of Jesus and a member of the Catholic Church? Would you want someone to be able to see this?
- What do you bring to life, to work, to your household and family and friends, to our planet, to the poor, to your church? Jesus teaches that it is in giving that we receive. Is that true in your life?
Do you like what you see? If you do, that is great. What can you do better? If you don’t like what you see, what will you begin to do differently? Name one thing! That is a great part of Lent – 40 days is a significant period of time. Experts say we need 21 consecutive days to create new habits. Let’s begin – together.
September 26, 2008
What about obedience?
In this weekend’s proclamation of Phillippians 2: 1-11we are hear “Have in you the same attittude that is also in Christ Jesus.” Paul goes on to state “he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Obedience may not be popular or even thought about that often but obviously it is important in this hymn to Jesus Christ in Phillipians. At one time in life, obedience meant obeying parents, teachers, coaches and whoever else was making rules who were older or stronger than me. When it came time to drive a car, obedience to laws and safe driving habits began to show that obedience had an impact on others as well – not only me. Forming friendships and falling in love began to show that being faithful, honest, and respectful were other ways to learn about obedience.
Those who struggle with addictions learn that the pathway to serenity and health means being very faithful to “working the program” – another kind of obedience. Those recovering from an accident or surgery discover how quickly one’s strength and mobility is lost and how difficult it is to regain it. Physical therapy teaches another kind of obedience. Changing one’s eating habits or exercising regularly to regain or sustain one’s health is another kind of obedience. Fighting cancer with chemotherapy, radiation, and/or surgery is another kind of obedience.
Life can move the reason for obedience from outside a person to inside a person. This movement to the inner life is the journey of holiness, maturity, and discipline. If our teacher became obedient to the point of death, then it is not surprising that those who wish to be His disciples will need to learn about obedience. Life gives ample opportunities to learn.
So what are you obedient to? Is it by choice? by accident? by the grace of God? What have you learned from obedience? How has it changed you? Has it helped you find happiness and holiness? Who or what do you need to become obedient to? Who or what should you no longer be obedient to? When will you begin? Who can help?
July 11, 2008
What about burdens?
Life does bring burdens. Some can be avoided and others can not. Some should be avoided and others should not be avoided. Some are quite manageable and others take everything in us to survive. Some we get better at over time and others never get easy. Some bring the best out of us and others bring the worst out of us. Some we respond to on “auto pilot” and others we become creative and invent new responses and strategies.
Jesus understood that life’s journey brings it share of challenges. “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…” (Matthew 11: 28-29) We heard those words in last Sunday’s Gospel. So what does our faith and journey of discipleship have to offer us in dealing with life’s burdens?
A yoke is not a very common part of our lives any more but it is the image Christ offers. A yoke is a wooden frame fitted across the necks of two oxen or other draft animals to join them together as they pull a plow or vehicle. It can also be a wooden bar shaped so that it rests across a person’s shoulders for carrying balanced loads suspended at each each end. It would seem that a yoke is about sharing the load, working together, and/or maintaining balance. Those are some very basic strategies or goals when dealing with burdens.
How do we take Christ’s yoke upon us and learn from Him? One way is to be very serious about discipleship, about growing with Christ to find balance and strength, about learning from him. The great news about His invitation is that Jesus wants to be yoked with us. Not everyone is willing to help with the burdens of others. Knowing to ask for help and who to ask for help are often the first steps in dealing with burdens. A disciple knows to ask Jesus for help, strength, courage, and wisdom.
The very first step in discipleship is prayer. Yes prayer with the community at Sunday Eucharist but also prayer each day alone or with those in your household or at work. It means sharing the joys and challenges of one’s life and also learning to listen to what Christ has to say. It means taking time to read and pray with Scripture – especially the Sunday readings.
A disciple is one who makes service an integral part of life. This can be at home or work or the parish or the community or the world. Greatness comes in serving others – especially the most in need. This is the ministry that Jesus began and invites disciples to continue.
A disciple is one who who is grateful and aware that all is from God and thus wants to give back to God in gratitude. There is so much one can give. What matters is to create the habits of giving. Giving time and sharing talents is important. Giving money to one’s church and for works of charity and justice is also essential. Often this can be an after thought or what is left over or done in response to a need. Serious discipleship challenges us to make a plan with our money, to give with some sacrifice, and to give first to God in gratitude.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…” (Matthew 11: 28-29) What is not to like about a promise of rest from life’s burdens. The challenge is in taking His yoke upon us!
July 1, 2008
New Beginnings
Today I enter the world of blogging – a new beginning for me – but very familiar to many. Ten years ago was a new beginning for St. Anne and for me. St. Anne was the first new parish founded in over 18 years in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. We were not able to move into our Parish Center until July 22nd so we met in homes of staff people and parishioners to prepare for our first mass on July 26, 1998. There was much we did not know then but we were convinced it was important to get the word out and tell people about a new Catholic Church community to serve the growing and often very young population moving into Kenosha County west of Hwy 31. In reality people have come from all parts of Kenosha, Pleasant Prairie, Racine, west of Interstate 94, and Illinois.
Our blog is one more way to tell our story in order to create and sustain relationships with people of faith – especially with those whose world is so influenced by technology, the internet, and/or blogging. Having just celebrated the Feasts of Saints Peter and Paul this past weekend and having just begun the “Year of St. Paul” as the church celebrates his 2,000th birthday, it seems appropriate to seek out new ways to spread the Good News and gather people of faith into a community for prayer, for ministry, for charity and justice, to learn about stewarship, and to strengthen our common discipleship to Jesus Christ.
I look forward to developing a regular habit to write and to enter a world I might have otherwise only heard others discussing.
