New place to worship - New Attitude

OK, so today I ventured out by myself to a very different worship service. different in many ways. Familiar in all the ways that count.

I must admit that it was difficult to get up and get ready and head out by myself to someplace that I knew I would not know anyone. I had three churches in mind for the past two weeks that I have planned on visiting. That is until I realized that the reason I was considering those three was that I would know someone there. once again I was trying to find some measure of comfort in an experience I knew would put me way outside my comfort zone. So after spending sometime last night in prayer and reflecting on somethings a couple of wonderful mature Christians have shared with me when discussing this new path God is guiding me down, I started thinking about and looking on line for information on churches that were not your typical church. But ones that were refreshing, growing and touching the communities they are in. I chose one that is fairly close to my home. One that is touching my community. It was in every way different from the traditional Baptist church I have been attending for the past 15 years. I guess I needed that. My first impressions were mixed. A store front instead of a church building with a steeple a "coffee house" instead of a fellowship hall? chairs instead of pews... a woman leading worship? no choir or worship band? just three women on stage with mikes and a DVD playing on a projection screen? OK, Kathy close your eyes and worship... Worship the one you came to worship.... AHHHH there He is! Yes, My God and my King was by my side... wait... what is that? an alter call at the beginning of the service? that was interesting... that was amazing! To see and hear others get real with God to hear others get emotional and right with God. Isn't that what it is really all about? Hmmmm. The Message was delivered by the senior pastor, at the very beginning they passed out bibles to any who did not have one and they encouraged everyone to find the passages that were referenced (and there were many of them) to go to them and read them for themselves. The message was based on a significant principle taught by God in the very beginning and taught by Jesus himself here on earth. Praise God he is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow! He inhabits the praise of His people no matter where the gather. Communion... not sure since today is the first of the month if it is a monthly thing or a weekly thing... once again completely different. No little cups were passed around instead Elders actually broke a large loaf of bread and invited all believers who had prepared themselves according to scripture to come forward break a piece from the loaf and dip it into the new wine and partake as Christ commanded His disciples to do. To finish a comforting old hymn... sung in a new way.

Lots to ponder, lots to consider, lots to pray about... God is good and God is faithful... Only God alone knows where I will be next Sunday morning...