[Magdalen] This saying No is tough

[Grace Cangialosi]

Marion,
This made me smile, because two weeks ago, on my next-to-last Sunday as
interim, I told the congregation that when Jesus told the disciples how to
handle conflict--first go to your brother or sister; if that doesn't work,
take another member with you; bring it to the church, etc.--I was pretty
sure he wasn't talking about e-mail!! We have all sorts of ways of avoiding
direct contact with one another.....and they can be really destructive in a
church community.

On Mon, Sep 22, 2014 at 2:27 PM, Marion Thompson <marionwhitevale at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Nothing to do with anything, but it's refreshing in this day and age when
> someone actually bothers to call voice-to-voice rather than hiding behind
> the neutral email.
>
> Marion, a pilgrim    ... today my sail I lift ....
>
> On 9/22/2014 1:20 PM, Scott Knitter wrote:
>
>> I have trouble saying No, to say the least. Recently I did say no to
>> taking on a continuing role as an editor/writer/interviewer/idea
>> person for the revived parish newsletter. Felt borderline good/awful
>> but I did it. What I'd change: not follow up the no-saying with "Sorry
>> I flaked out" or some such.
>>
>> Now we've got a reception coming up to honor our choirmaster for 30
>> years as choirmaster. He's great, so I jumped on the request from a
>> vestry member to post on the website and Facebook page about the
>> celebration right away. And I appreciated the vestry member's writing
>> an article and giving me good photos, so all I had to do was post.
>>
>> She asked later if I would say a few words at the reception, and I
>> begged off, saying we have a house guest that weekend (we do, and I'm
>> as usual filled with anxiety about that) and didn't know if I'd be
>> allowed to be at the reception so couldn't be counted on to say a few
>> words (about five minutes, which sounds like more than a few words).
>> She still left it that maybe I could have something ready in case I am
>> there and am called on. Always the door is kept open to my maybe
>> saying yes after all. Should have closed that door.
>>
>> Now the choirmaster's wife is phoning me on both my phones and leaving
>> messages about talking further about the celebration and what's on the
>> website...She is obviously trying to give me a project. When the
>> second phone rang, I threw it down the hallway.
>>
>> My attitude at the moment is that if she can't email me what she wants
>> to say, I can't help her. But I'll try to keep the anger out of it and
>> just let the message be No, I can't take on anything right now.
>>
>>
>


-- 
Grace Cangialosi
Ruckersville, VA

"There are a lot of amazing people out there to be thankful for--
and a loving God. that's what life is about."
                                                                   Robin
Williams,  1951-2014