Ralph Waldo Emerson is credited as saying, “All children have at least one thing in common. They close their ears to advice but open their eyes to example.” I remembered this today as once again I observed the coffee-doughnut ritual at First UMC and wondered about the lessons being taught. We offer fat-laden doughnut holes to children who we know are being threatened with obesity. We serve coffee that is not *fair-trade and forget the injustices to humans and the earth that are contained in each Styrofoam cup. (We could also discuss the chemicals liberally added by many coffee drinkers) By the way, only coffee is served. The purpose of this time in the parlor is to meet and greet others. Yet, it does not seem to be an intergenerational exercise. The final concern is that some of our children depart with cupfuls of doughnut holes that are not shared with others in their Sunday school class. I refuse to be the doughnut police. However, much is being learned each Sunday in this fellowship time and I think we need to consider developing new curriculum. By the way, I fully realize that this is heresy and I will probably be charged with such.
*Fair Trade Certified coffee guarantees farmers a fair price for their product and requires them to make environmental protection a part of farm management
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3 comments:
I was delighted with your heretical exposition and am proud of your willingness to start discourse on some of the subjects that you have been introducing us too recently. If there are any theses that you would like to nail to the church door, you are welcome to any of the many hammers that I have let get rusty. We should all applaud and follow your example. Thank you, Rev.
If this be heresy than I shall be a heretic!
We have tossed around the idea of fruit etc. for years now, but we never do anything. WHAT ARE WE AFRAID OF?
I hope you hear the loud appause I am giving you. What an excellent example of making the theoretical practical. If Tom is providing the hammer, I will donate the nail. Perhaps placing copies of this blg and the several comments in the Steeple would get the attention of the right people and change would happen.
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