It’s Sunday morning and the faithful have gathered. The pastor is talking about change and suggesting a six-week fast this summer—a time to focus on Christ without the usual committee meetings and preparation for Sunday school classes. I’m thinking there must be a significant difference between a fast and a vacation, but I better keep listening instead of trying to figure that out right now. I wonder how celebration and prayer events during this time will be planned and conducted. It would probably be easy to get volunteers for that committee. It would be like an excused absence from the fast.

During the open worship time earlier I had good reason to be thinking about the impact of cancer (and then other afflictions—poverty, racism, crime, mental disability, alzheimer's). I was wondering how Jesus feels about what the church is doing regarding these issues. Sometimes religion seems so ethereal. I think I understand why some people think religion is a feel-good drug.

I wonder if I would get bonus points if I started my fast early and skipped the church business meeting tonight.