Wednesday Words

I don't recall if I've mentioned this here before or not (a quick glance through the blog tells me I haven't) but I'm beginning a new discipline -- or something like that.

A few weeks ago I was up in Eugene for a clergy meeting.  On the way home my traveling partner told me that he had begun sending out a little midweek meditation via e-mail to his congregation.  I said that sounded like a good idea, but that would give me just one more thing to stress over and work to prepare.

He said, "No, it's really easy.  I just whip out three to five hundred words (so a page or less) about something that caught my attention and got me thinking.  Sometimes that's from something in the week, sometimes it's from something I've read, and I always keep a file drawer full of things that got me thinking at one time or another.  But here's the interesting thing -- people love it.  In fact, they love it so much, people tell me that this has become the most important thing I've done or the most important part of their week."

And he challenged me to do something similar.

I said I'd think about it.

After thinking about it, I've begun doing it.  Three weeks ago I sent out an introductory piece letting everyone know it would be coming.  Two weeks ago was the first piece.  Yesterday was the third.

And the response has been overwhelming.  People love it.  One person has told me that he doesn't leave the house on Wednesdays now until after he has received it.  Somebody told me last week, "That was the best Wednesday Word EVER!!"  I thought about reminding them I've only written two, calm down.

But the response has been very positive.  People are encouraged.  People are thinking.  People like it.  So now I'm stuck with it.

And that's okay.  It's nice to do something that has been positively received for a change.  The trick now is to keep being brilliant.