Once before I mentioned that it’s not often that I get to visit other churches. Well, I recently traveled with my sister and brother-in-law to the southland (note my previous post) and on the way back we politely attended church with our host and hostess with whom we had spent the night. I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting, but needless to say I was taken back in utter shock. I knew that here in America all too many believers are in a state of spiritual deadness, but wow; I guess two hours of sitting in the middle of it just made it hit home. Although when relating some of the message to someone else I was laughing so hard I was crying, when I sit down to write this a sort of sick feeling settles in my stomach, and waves of pity flood over me.

So we started out this day of worship in an unofficial committee meeting/over-age sunday school. With coffee and coffee-cake available to those who had not gotten up in time to fully wake their senses, and all scripture for the session printed out for those who had forgotten their Bibles or else neglected to bring them, we began with making plans for a Christmas get-to-gether. Origional plans of going out to eat must be changed as it meant $30 a plate which no one wanted to pay. O and then the day, few would be able to attend if it were on Christmas day so wouldn’t Friday or Saturday work better? But then if it were on Saturday it would have to be cut short in order for enough rest before Sunday services. But of course, Friday might interfere with kid’s basketball. Did anyone know their kid’s schedules? Would they please raise their hands?

And then finally the message. This is where I about lost it. The message was derived from 1 Timothy 4. After rambling through the first three verses with suppositions and propositions we arrived at verse four in which quoting from the text they handed out “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude.” Interpretation: “We shouldn’t kick the donkey.” I immediatily pressed the search button in my mind which took me to Baalam. So I waited for the the speaker to corelate the two, but it never came for the next phrase was, ” We shouldn’t hit and kick animals because they are God’s creation and they’re good. Only deranged people do that.” I’m not joking. That’s what he said. My mind almost locked up it took so long trying to process! We went from it being fine for you to hold to whatever diet you feel best, as long as you don’t jucge others by it, to not abusing animals because they’re good. Read 1 Tim. 4:3,4,5, re-read this, and then tell me if you got it! That was just one example from that message.

Then we entered the main auditorium for the morning service. It was there and then that I learned that we serve a thrice holy God (when we sang Holy, Holy, Holy.) I about passed out as we sang Blessed Assurance at an allegro tempo! Listen to it sung southern gospel style just once, and you’ll hate it any other way. It loses all meaning! Anyway…so yeah, of course another message followed. This scripture text was also printed in the bulliten. (And *read* out of the bulliten, by I’m assuming a deacon, prior to the sermon!) We learned about the self-centered Mary who was so caught up in her own selfish grief that she didn’t even recognize the angels or get this – Jesus himself! May I insert a word, please! Show me a Mary in your church! Ok, so there isn’t one; how about anywhere?! She was so focused on Christ she could not leave till she had found him! She didn’t even have her own heart – Christ was in posession of it! Her extreme sorrow was so very far from herself!

Then *ahem* *cough*, along the same line(?) We are often caught up with material things, causing us to forget about people and relationships. We also are alot of times so sorrowed by our trials that we forget they are there for our good. God is faithful and we should be praying “Help me!” O how that ticks me! Will we ever get it out of our heads! – the “Help me” thing! Help me with nothing Jesus! Do your will, and if you see fit to use me in order to do so, I rest here – at your service!

I could go on, and on, but alas…lest I bore you into a different state of deadness, I shall respectfully stop my fingers from typing any further.

So yeah, I had a wonderful Sunday in the midst of fellow believers worshipping Christ and eddifying one another! 🙂

Note: I mean no disrespect towards any persons or the church; I feel for them – what they cannot feel.