Audra Jennings

It doesn't take much to realize my sometimes angst about singles and church... especially when I'm expected at singles' events. Our preacher participates in an annual lectureship and received his topics this week. He asked Rachel about his topic, then she pointed him my way because she new I had an opinion. Sam sent me the message below, and I wanted to share some thoughts because maybe it will help plant seeds of ideas for others. Got my assignments for Polishing the Pulpit in August. One of my lessons is called Seven Minutes of Wisdom (because that's about all I got). The audience is college age and singles in the church. The lesson is about dealing with friends who are married with children and all the talk about is their kids or their marriage. Thus making for boring, unnecessary conversation with single friends. The lesson is about how singles should deal with this situation. I know you have faced this some, so I thought I'd get some ideas from you to beg...

Goodness knows that I've always been opinionated. Goodness knows that I'll say what I think about a situation to friends. But, believe it or not, I'm not always really good about following through and saying it to the person that needs to hear it or someone that might help the situation. I really wanted "Rebekah" to give me her phone so that I could call and tell off "Timmy the Fly", but I digress. Maybe it has to do with the book that I've read 200 pages of this weekend. All the characters are so passive-aggressive and unable to tell each other what they really think at the risk of having a real conversation or confrontation that I'm ready to scream. Last night's event grew from 5 people to 8. I invited my friend Courtney to come with the warning of what went down last time. Well, let's just say it didn't really go any differently than last time. We did have more chips than last time. I think for the 8 of us, we had 6 bags of...

I do not want to talk about it quite honestly. So I just won't. I am skipping out next time. It's ridiculous. That is all.

I'm kind of empty on blog topics tonight, quite frankly. That's what happens when you have only walked out to the mailbox in order to get out of the house and the only person you have talked to on the phone was a wrong number. I must make some plans to leave the house. Something beyond "are you free the second Saturday in April for another singles get together?" Poor Rachel, aka Rebekah. She was the person who got the answer that was something like "really, I'm in a mood, and I really don't give a flying fig what theme the event has because no one is going to show up." I have a number of rants along those lines and some of the other things that came up in regards to said event that really have nothing to do with her. All I know is that next Friday, I have seats 14 rows from the field for Opening Day for the Texas Rangers. I am ready to get out of the house and go on my annual tradition. After that, I need something to look forward to. You have ...

A Facebook friend of mine shared this today, and I shared it on Facebook, and now I'm directing everyone here to it. This says everything I've thought re: singles and church. I've not had time to read through all the hundreds of comments, but the ones I've read thus far are great. Link here to the post Surviving Church as a Single and is written by Jon Acuff. More so than my single friends, I recommend my married readers take a look. You may or may not remember the days of this yourself, but it's a nice reminder. It might keep you from saying something you really shouldn't. I feel like such a leper sometimes.