I am amused that in a blurb int he local paper mentioning the "Successful Marriage Seminar" my church is putting together, the headline starts with "Faith-based..." (the article, however, did result in at least one person visiting the church web site, which is cool).
I hope it proves useful for those who attend. I don't plan on it, despite Dawson's best efforts to sell a marriage seminar to singles, too. I'd have honestly much preferred it if it had been sold as a marriage seminar, but that singles are welcome to visit if they like. Not "you should come too because it will offer you valuable tools for when you do get married," but "you might be interested and if you are, you're welcome to come." Because the rule for "retreats" applies here, too. If people don't get something practical they can implement right away, they probably won't remember a thing. I've heard enough about marriage to last me a lifetime. Until I have the chance to realize that all the facts in the world don't add up to an ounce of experience, and have the chance to learn by doing, this is all just noise in my ears - and noise that tends to get me depressed, to boot.
Like the movie Happy Feet, there is a lot of potential in something like this. But if it tries to be too many things at once, it will end up a grey, muddled mess. With the divergent views of the church and the world with regard to marriage, there's just one more dimension in which a given seminar must decide what it wants to be and who it wants to address.
I'll show up early to help with the set-up, and I'll lend a hand if it is needed to help put the seminar on, but there are things I recuse myself from for my own mental health, and this is as close to the center of those things as I think the church will ever go (If we hold a young adults matchmaking/date night, I'll stand corrected and flee screaming into the night). I'll just retire to my car and listen to the Lord of the Rings audiobook while I lie back and rest.
So I support the idea both ideally and practically, and I'll back that up by helping as best I can. But it also ain't for me.
Monday, April 09, 2007
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2 comments:
What? We got in the paper??
And I completely understand your decision not to go but I'm also "making" my single girls go. But they are in a different stage of life then you. Thanks for heading up set up. I haven't talked to you in a while but I appreciate your service.
And I can understand "making" younger people go who may or may not have heard such things. I also remember Jerry giving a (similar?) presentation on similar topics when I was in college (winter break, 1997-1998 if I recall), and I have positive though vague memories of that still.
Personally, I think the effectiveness of such an event is enhanced by making it more specific. If it's for married folks, then run with that. If it's for singles, then run with that. But trying to be too many things at once is a tough balancing act.
So while I'm not against it per se, I'm also in the "Been there, done that" category. I hope that it's really beneficial for everyone that's there.
Thanks, and you're welcome. I'd say thanks to you, too... but I don't want to make it trite by simply echoing the sentiment.
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