Trying again on this post, too, to express myself clearly. What I meant to say was:
-We modern americans tend to compartmentalize our lives. We live, work, shop, learn, and worship all in separate places. Because of the way our communities tend to be physically built, we literally travel great distances to go to these different life functions.
-When we try to build up our parish community, we are therefore fighting a very big battle.
–> This is because we have to plan special activities that get people to leave their normal life and go join the parish life. Church is one more place you have to travel to. The church community isn’t also the people you work, shop, learn & play with — it is separated from the rest of your life in both time and space.
-People who are unable to attend the special activities (for whatever reason — disability or other) are thus unable to participate in the parish community.
–> So long as we tend to live a geographically compartmentalized life, building the church community is always going to be a struggle. And it is always going to be especially difficult to include in the community those people who are unable to navigate the physical distances required. (Likewise, those who can’t navigate the time requirements, due to odd work schedules, etc.)
It is always going to be easy to simply “lose” those members, because they are going to be invisible to the parish, hidden away as they are, someplace other than the parish activities.
I’m not sure if this clearer or not, but at least it isn’t quite so grouchy. In any case, it wasn’t supposed to be one of the topics of this blog. Everyone will breathe a deep sigh of relief when the regular schedule starts up.