I am just so tired! I'm an evening person who is now getting up at 5:45am as my wife must leave for work rather early to beat the traffic. I've been sleeping five hours a night, as I am not used to the schedule yet. We have officially entered the suburban frenzy. Yesterday was just insane.
Cheryl went straight from work to the small community group that pastor Gary was starting. I met her there and brought her dinner. I thought for sure that she was going to fall asleep during the prayer time. Eyes closed, no physical activity. . . ZONK! We finally arrived home at 9:30pm, relaxed a bit and went to bed. I felt sorry for my wife who had been away from home for almost 15 hours. I used to keep such a schedule four days a week. No wonder i hit the wall two years ago and used to drink coffee like it was water.
Anyhow, this suburban frenzy has drastic implications for family life and community. How can we expect suburban people to show up for a Tuesday evening "community group" each week when it will invariably call for a 14-15 hour day for many commuters? That is just grueling for most people. I'm sure it is even worse in households where both the husband and the wife commute. We just can't have community groups as normal in this setting and get away with it. People will burn out and be too tired for deep community. Our economic situation does shape our social landscapes. More on this later....
You're right - this is a tough one. And one of the reasons I find it so hard to get involved in a small group in the evenings. It's all I can do most days just to get the basics done, and don't have the time or energy to still try fit another thing into the schedule! It's a dilemma I have no solution for yet, but will be watching your space to see if you find one! :)
Posted by: Michelle | 18 August 2004 at 11:39 PM
If you've been following the thoughts on issues of Christianity and work on Cerulean Sanctum, you'll know that people are exploring how to wake up the Church to issues of work.
I recently read Randy Frazee's books (The Connecting Church and Making Room for Life) and felt that he was completely out of touch with what is happening with most families' work situations. I know people who have been downsized every eighteen months for the last six years--that just kills community. Unless the Church in America is willing to address the one thing that occupies most of everyone's day, their job, we are only going to become more isolated from the community we so desperately desire.
Posted by: dle | 23 August 2004 at 04:51 PM
i have to agree with you on the whole economic thing. it is what drives the entire suburban frenzy that my wife and i are dealing with. We moved from a smaller city to suburbia to find work. That is the only reason we left Whidbey Island for the burbs. Even on the island we did not have much community as a Navy town is defined by mobility.
Posted by: Darren | 23 August 2004 at 10:11 PM