“Be prepared.” It’s the motto of both the Girl Scouts and the Boy Scouts. I had a friend in my Brownie Troop (back when we wore beanies and brown dresses with orange neckties) who took this to heart. We were at day camp and one sunny day we were to go on a nature hike. She brought her rain coat and galoshes. The leaders tried to explain to her that there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and that we wouldn’t be gone long. She wasn’t hearing it. “But it might rain and we’re supposed to be prepared,” she said.

So Mother Teresa doubted! Wow. I found this out today while I was on the Internet. The woman whose faithfulness and dedication to God’s work inspired the world, no matter what the religion, had faith struggles. I don’t know why this surprised me so; everyone who seeks more than a cursory relationship with Christ has crises of faith. I guess it surprised me because she didn’t seem to be anything but an incredible woman of God and a tireless worker for his kingdom.

Mark 12:38 – 44

Dear Yahweh,
Only You will know what I hold in my hand as I stand here with all the important men of the synagogue — Scribes, Pharisees, wealthy people. I clasp my fingers around these two half-pennies so no one will see what a pitiful offering I give to you, but, really no one seems to see me, anyway. Interesting how since my husband died I became invisible except for a few kind-hearted people who give me some of their leftover food or coins. Don’t get me wrong; I’m grateful for those leftovers because I know it’s You who put Your kindness into their hearts.

I have been a small-membership church pastor for about 12 years now. My first appointment was waaaaay out in the country, which was a small cultural shock for a city-slicker Yankee like me. However, I tried to get into the spirit of things. I learned to quilt, to crochet, to sew and eventually to can tomatoes and make salsa. I even made ketchup once just to say I did it.

There’s a saying, “Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Usually this refers to our families and the general frustrations of getting along with each others’ quirks and idiosyncrasies, but it also refers to our relationship with God.

I was at worship with a number of my sisters in Christ recently and the leader started talking about boxes. Isn’t it strange how insistently we try to put God into some kind of box, as if we could contain God? One thought led to another and I got this image of a toddler playing with a jack-in -the-box.

I got this quiz in an e-mail not long ago:

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

6. Name the last decade’s worth of World Series winners.

A small-membership church is defined, by some, as a church that has fewer than 150 worshipers per Sunday. Most small-membership churches (“small-membership” because there is no such thing as a “small church”) I know would love to see 150 at worship. Something like 75 percent of churches in America can be defined as “small-membership.” Some church-development experts find this a disturbing trend and are calling for small-membership churches to be more deliberate about outreach and evangelism. The adage is, “if you’re not growing, you’re dying.”