Parking and Christ Church The Great Rope Trick To Drive Off The Faithful

 Parking and Christ Church

The Great Rope Trick To Drive Off The Faithful

This is a matter that should never come to you.

On a Sunday English Worship, Rev Viswasraj was leading the Worship. For him what could be done in one minute always takes three minutes. Rev Kuruvilla Chandy was the speaker. Though the Church gives 20 mins for the message he took more than 35mins.

English Worship that begins at 7.15 am has to be completed by 9am. Then only the participants would vacate the premises and parking ground so that people who come to attend Malayalam Worship at 9.45am could park their vehicles. 

On that Sunday when the two respected Pastors conspired to extend the worship there was a parking mayhem. It invited the intervention of the Police as the roads were clogged.

The Church has found a solution. Parking in the ground adjacent to the Centenary Hall is prohibited or prevented with ropes and three or four security personnel until the parking place adjacent to the entrance of the stadium is filled.

Here is the hitch.

 Most of the people who drive to the church are not professional drivers. They are aged. Many of them are women.The behaviour of the security personnel is unpleasant. They explain they are helpless as they are following  the  orders of the committee which is sacrosanct. 

Last Sunday I met a lady who I presume had been an additional secretary. She was lamenting the ropes led her up where she did not have the expertise to park. Finally she had to take the vehicle out of the compound and park on the road even as there was sufficient space within the compound that had been cordoned off.

The questions are, why should the congregation be punished for the inefficiency of the Church to complete the worship in time.

Why is it that the Church is alienating the people who take great pains to attend the worship. 

At this rate when people are cordoned off for no fault of theirs, the question again arises.

Are we in a totalitarian regime?

Many I understand have objected to the present arrangement but to no avail.

It happened to me too once. As I was directed up there was a little space to squeeze my vehicle in. I managed it with the guidance of three people. It was fortunate they were there. Deeply assailed by the travail both of us made a decision to return without attending the Church if we had to go through such an experience again. This is not blasphemy. This is not faithlessness. 

However we are helpless.