July 11, 2019 (Thursday)
Today’s date is “7-11.” July 11, 2019.
“Sevens, Elevens, and Doubles” (also referred to as “7s, 11s, and doubles”, “7/11/2x”, “Sloppy Dice” or “Hero”) is a drinking game played with two dice. The game can be played with as few as two people, but is usually played in a group of five or more. The object of the games is to roll a 7, 11 or any double.
I have heard a person yell these numbers in many movies through the years. When I was in the 8th grade, kids in Junior High who lived in our community were provided a city bus for transportation to and from school each day. On the way home, every day, a group would gather in the back of the bus and gamble with dice all the way home. I learned how to play “Poker” when I was a boy, but I never learned anything about dice, except their use in Monopoly and a few other board games. A boy at school showed me his loaded dice one day; they were weighted so that they always rolled to a “seven.”
The phrase, “7-11,” used as the name of a chain of convenience stores, is quite successful. I can hear the jingle advertising the stores in my mind, One guy says, “From seven” and another guy continues, “To eleven.” Over and over, fading each time. They were originally called, “U-Tote’m” stores (notice the totem pole as part of the sign), but the name was changed in 1946. There are now more than 68,000 7-11 stores! (wow).
Many convenience stores these days are open “24-7” (twenty-four hours a day, every day), including “7-11” stores. When I came to Rockport in October, 1964, in view of a call as pastor, I needed allergy pills and looked for a convenience store. There was only one in town, and it was locally owned and did not sell gasoline. I don’t know how many are here today, but almost every service station is also a convenience store. Many, perhaps most, are open 24 hours.
When I think of the term, “24-7,” I think of churches. Each of them meets at scheduled times for worship or other purposes, but the overall mission of the church is a 24-7 mission. The old saying, “a woman’s work is never done,” applies to pastors in the 21st century. Most pastors these days have high expectations of themselves, and so do many other people. Most pastors know all too well the feeling that it is impossible to “catch up” on all the duties of today’s pastors.
At my advanced age, I’ve made peace with myself about what I am able to do, and the church I serve as interim pastor is very kind and understanding. Soon I shall have completed my term as interim, and I shall return to being a regular member of a church. But thousands of pastors in this country face many challenges and they need your prayers. “Heavy, heavy hangs over your head” is the reality that many live with, because the needs are great and the laborers are few (Luke 10:2).
To all who read this, whatever your religious denomination, remember to pray for your spiritual leaders.