Knowing that Blondie wasn’t the only one who turned down reading their paper at the church service during the confirmation ceremony I made mention that I wondered if the minister who planned to read Blondie’s paper was going to read any of the other papers from those who declined.
At that point I was sure that at least one other girl had declined because she is in my wife’s Wednesday night youth group at the church. I expressed concern for the minister’s judgment if he ended up reading only Blondie’s paper and excluded others.
We received another email on Saturday afternoon from the minister. Evidently he must have shared his idea and plan that he was going to read Blondie’s paper with someone or some group, like maybe the board who selected the best papers. He also may have had a come to Jesus moment and realized the error he was making in this politically correct society.
It turns out that I may have been incorrect on the number of papers that get selected, but I know that in all the confirmation services I have attended, which are more than I have fingers to count, there has always been three youths that have read their papers. So, knowing that at least two this year have declined I thought that some feelings could or would be hurt if the minister only read one and not the other. It maybe that all three original selections declined because the email to us said that it wouldn’t be right just to read Blondie’s paper and not the “others” papers.
I have never been to one of these that didn’t have three read their papers, had it been just the one other girl we know about the word wouldn’t have been in its plural form with an “s” on the end of “other”. So I wonder if all of the top three declined. The church and the minister have a solution to the problem and I think it is a good one. Rather than have those who have a fear of public speaking read live in church, the church is going to allow the kids to read their own paper and video tape the reading. The church will then play it at the service on the two big massive video screens located at the front of the church. Problem solved.
Problem solved for maybe some of the others, but not Blondie, she is more camera shy, I believe, than she is of public speaking. She never likes to have her picture taken, even for family photos, now the minister is really asking her to step out of her comfort zone. The minister is just going to have to face the fact that some things maybe just aren’t meant to be shared with everyone.
I had a talk with Blondie about this situation and I told her that the purpose of the paper was so the church would have a better understanding of what her faith and the church mean to her. Well they have that, so those who need to know have that information, and the rest of the congregation doesn’t need that information. She isn’t going to read her paper live or on video tape. So disregard the warning to bring tissues to the church service that I previously made.
I could prevent this situation from happening in the future, I have a solution, but the church hasn't asked for any input so I'm just going to observe.
My solution also wouldn’t be fair for this whole confirmation class because it would have required the kids be informed prior to writing their papers, not after the fact. The solution would be to just publish the papers in a little journal each year so that members who actually care to know could read them. I guarantee you that if I were to make that suggestion they would jump on it in a heartbeat, not because it is a great idea and could head off issues such as this one right now. No, those would just be added benefits, the reason the church would jump on it is that they could monetize it.
I can already see that by the time Shortie is confirmed in three years we will be more than likely purchasing a “Confirmation Class Memoirs Journal” for $29.95 or somewhere there abouts. Mark my words; if I even mention it, it will happen. I think I am just going to keep my mouth shut on this one; the church gets enough of our money.
Just for clarity, I know that some of you are thinking that I have contradicted myself with saying, “the rest of the congregation doesn’t need that information.” and then turned right around and suggested publishing the papers in a journal. Let me explain.
Sitting at the service and having to listen to a live reading or a videotaped reading a person in the church pews is going to hear it whether or not they even want too or care too. All those people in the pews don’t have a “need” for that information; they are hearing it because they are there. By publishing the papers in a journal it makes the information available but doesn’t force it anyone to read it, those who care and want to know what the future generations of the church are thinking about God and the church can get copy of the journal for themselves and read what the whole class feels, not just a selected few members of the class. So for those folks with a need for information, as a concerned member of the church, in wanting to know that the church has new members who will continue to grow and support the church is met with the journal.
I do believe that full disclosure should be given to the kids prior to writing their papers in the fact that they would be published and available to the congregation. To take this year’s kids and print the papers would just be wrong, since they wouldn’t have known going in that the papers would be made available.
Now if I can just keep my mouth shut.
Until next time,
