Vocals Sometimes Fail Me

Another Women's Bible study will begin at my church this fall. Again, I'm excited about it albeit apprehensive. This is the first time we are conducting study on a Sunday evening. Here were my thoughts:

1. Women's Study usually forges some pretty strong friendships and relationships. The atmosphere generally allows for people to share personal struggles or feelings and this generally forges a pretty deep bond. We learn together and we learn about each other.

2. Some women cannot come during the week due to other commitments. I know many women who work long hours--from time to time, I am one of those women. Mondays can and have gotten a little laborious for me. I get into my classroom by 7 am and I wasn't getting home until 9 pm. It was a LONG day. But, like me, many women have already set Sunday aside for church and fellowship time. Therefore, it didn't seem a stretch to provide study on that day, too.

3. If they are going to be there anyway, might as well join study. Self explanatory.

4. Maybe the husbands will have the opportunity to form a strong bond with one another. Sometimes smaller groups allow for better interaction.

I suggested it to my church board realizing that this will be a trial and error sort of thing. Maybe it will work. Maybe it won't. Who knows at this point?

So when a lady approaches me today and asks to move study up, I was a little dumbfounded. I understood her reasoning--she really wants to be with her husband in church--and I appreciate it. She also wants to keep the church body united.

It was never my intention, however, to "divide" the church body. I was just hoping to give some women a chance for a better connection--if at all possible. And I needed a way to streamline the scheduling. I don't want to complain because I have a pretty sweet schedule, but the school year can be pretty hectic.

With my thoughts in mind, you think I would share a few of them...or that I would at least not be bothered by her comment regarding unification. But I am. I feel like (even after she said this wasn't the case) that she believes that I have no desire for unification in our church. The truth is this: I need this for a connection. I need to connect with other people on a deeper level. It is not enough for me to share a pew with them, and the good majority of our meetings don't always allow us the depth of conversation that Bible study allows.

So my voice failed me. Why does it always happen at the most inopportune of moments?