Happiness is --- a dollar in the bucket

27th June 2013

Tom and I visited one of the three Mooresville Rotary clubs this morning – RC Mooresville Top of the Lake. This was a breakfast club with over 30 members. The average age would have been around 50 I should say and maybe a third of the people there today were women. So quite a different demographic to the club back home.

It was their club handover today. That is when the new club president (and officers) take up office.

One thing that I’d not come across before was the “Dollar in the happy bucket”. (Perhaps it’s me, but this sounds like a euphemism for something – though I’m not quite sure what.) Anyway, a small plastic bucket (like a children’s sandcastle type bucket) was passed round the room and everyone was encouraged to put in a dollar and say thank you for something over the last week. So for example, one of the female members (whose husband was also a member of the club) wanted to give thanks for them having had a lovely 2 week holiday in Italy. The first 2 week holiday they had had in 37 years so she said as they’d not been prepared to leave their business for so long previously. Others gave thanks for someone having come through an operation.

“The happy bucket” sounds really corny. But I really liked the sentiment behind it. Wouldn’t it be good if we were more willing to say thanks to God in Church for something that has happened to us? And yet may experience has been that when people are given the opportunity to say “thank you” for something in church there is silence. I’m sure some people say prayers of thanks at home. But why not publicly? And would it be too radical to combine it with a happy bucket?

Having had a Skype conversation with Anne earlier, she told me some people have been saying (albeit in fun) “Isn’t he doing any work?” Well I never work and only on Sundays (I thought I’d say it before someone else did.) But I have been doing some “work”
Yesterday, we had a staff meeting which was an opportunity to meet the ministry leaders and hear about what they do. Followed by a working lunch. Well ok lunch.

Today, with the Director of Spiritual Growth I had a pastoral meeting with a member of the church who is going through a difficult time. This was a most enlightening experience as I learned so much from my colleague in the hour or so.

And I’ve been sermon writing. And what has been wonderful has been having the space to reflect and think on my sermon and not the usual rushing to get something ready for Sunday. In fact I am a week ahead of myself which is unheard of. Usually I have the sermon 95% finished by the Friday before the Sunday and I am up early on Sunday to finalise things. So I am enjoying the luxury.

Once I’ve finished the blog it’s domestic duties – the ironing calls. Tom meanwhile is out with a group of 20 somethings from church.