Monday Morning Coffee: $3.00, 111, and a Plumbing Issue

Ah, Good Monday morning! It would be a great Monday morning if it wasn’t for my allergies. Ugh. I woke up this morning with my head clear for the first time in over a week. Of course, the first couple of days of the aforementioned week my head was clogged because I had a cold; but that soon eased and the stuffiness was replaced by nasal drip caused by allergies. Upon waking up this morning, I was very thankful that my head was clear – no gagging, nasal drip, or itchy eyes. However, as I went into church for morning prayer, all of it came back, making this Monday morning coffee time not too fun.

This weekend at church, someone asked me why I call my morning postings “Morning Coffee.” It was an idea I toyed with years ago – and its fairly easy to explain. In the morning, I usually sit down in front of my computer to either work or waste time searching the internet. I found that every time I sat down in front of the computer in the morning, I had a cup of coffee sitting next to me. Hence, the name.

There is nothing more to the naming of these posts.

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Gun Buyback Program

Regardless of a person’s opinion on gun control and the 2nd Amendment, this weekend’s gun buyback program sponsored by the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office and held at Saint Matthew’s was a success. When 111 unwanted guns are turned it, those are 111 potential home accidents that cannot happen. No matter one’s opinion on gun rights, no one can be upset that unwanted guns have been turned into the police and recycled. Obviously the guns that were turned it are not automatic weapons or 9 mm guns; most of them were rifles. There were a number of handguns and even a BB gun. These weapons were going unused and were unwanted by their owners. A number of people who came to Saint Matthew’s to hand in their weapons said that they only had the gun because after cleaning out a family’s home following a death, they didn’t know what to do with the weapon their loved one owned.

Criminals were not going to come to Saint Matthew’s to hand in a gun they used in a crime. However, there were plenty of people who had unwanted guns in their homes — guns they never were going to use in any situation — and this was a good way to get rid of them.

The debate over gun control in Washington D.C. and Trenton is one that is going to continue for a while. Some politicians are going to try and score political points pushing for either tighter controls over weapons or fighting to loosen the government’s grip on limiting the rights of citizens to own weapons. The gun buyback program at church yesterday did not take a side in this debate. I believe that if there are citizens who have guns going unused and unwanted in their homes, trading them for some cash is not a bad thing.

All I know is that this weekend, 111 unwanted guns are out of the hands of our neighbors.

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The $3.00 Story

Yesterday during the buyback, a gentleman exchanged a rather nice weapon he didn’t want any more for $80. As he was leaving, he noticed me standing in the hallway downstairs talking with a New Milford detective and a member of the sheriff’s office. At the time, I was drinking a cup of tea — Celestial Seasonings Fast Lane Tea, to be precise. It was quite funny when the man came up to me and plunged $3.00 into my cup, thinking I was taking donations. As a friend of mine mentioned on Facebook, it gave a new meaning to “green tea.”

After a hearty laugh, I dumped my tea.

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A Plumbing Issue

If you come to church today, do not — I repeat — DO NOT USE THE BATHROOMS!

Yesterday after church, one of our toilets overflowed. Our initial thinking was that too much paper was stuffed down that toilet, but apparently the main line leading out to the street is where our clog is located. And how did we learn this? We flushed another toilet and that one, too, overflowed. Our Trustees will be calling in a plumber to deal with this issue. Until you hear otherwise, stay clear of the bathrooms at church. If you are in need of relief, I am opening up the bathroom in the parsonage for anyone at church. Just let me know.

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Attendance

I was asked this weekend about church attendance. Yes, it has been lower than usual. Even looking back a few years, our numbers are down across the board. Of course, the high holy days (Easter, Christmas Eve) are very well attended. But our non-high holy days have seen a rather big dip. This is something we need to address.

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Holy Trinity Pasta Dinner This Saturday, April 20

Last evening, I spoke with a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran in Garfield who mentioned that they are holding their annual Pasta Dinner Night this coming Saturday, April 20 beginning at 6pm. Tickets are only $15. I am attending their dinner (no meat-laden pasta for me) after our Saturday Evening Worship Service at 5pm. If you are interested in attending, let me know. Tickets are available at the door, though they need to have a general head count.

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And Finally…

I will be out shopping for a short while this morning, and then I will be back at the house the rest of the day. Today is going to be filled with chores: The outdoor furniture needs to be cleaned; I let my laundry pile up too high and it needs to be washed; the compost in the yard needs to be watered and mixed; and the kitchen and bathroom floors are in need of scrubbing. I look at all these tasks as “exercise.” I leave you with a Scriptural point I made in my sermon yesterday, today’s verse taken from John 20:21:

 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

Have a blessed Monday!