Letter C

Last night we had game night at our house.  I love game night with my whole heart.  The best game nights include my parents, my brother and my BFF Melissa and her husband Dean.  Everyone meshes really well and we've all known each other forever, so hilarity ensues.

And none of that has anything to do with letter C.

Last night, after we were done playing (aka dominating the boys in) Catch Phrase, we discussed blogging.  And my mom discussed how I hadn't blogged in a long time.  So here we are at letter C.

C is for Church.

Growing up, my parents did not regularly attend church (thereby making the fact that my dad is now a pastor of a local church even more amazing).  However, I somehow ended up at churches on a somewhat regular basis.  I attended a few Vacation Bible Schools each summer, went on special occasions, etc.  After I became an adult and decided that following Jesus made more sense than drinking myself into oblivion 7 days a week, my church attendance obviously increased.  I thought it would be interesting to list the churches that have made some sort of impact in my life, be that positive or negative.

The first church that I remember going to was Smith Chapel Freewill Baptist Church.  Smith as in my grandparents.  Who founded the church.  And still live across the street from it.  I attended VBS here in the summers and while I remember it being moderately okay because my cousins were also there, this church was a source of confusion in my impressionable little mind.  I distinctly remember standing outside with other children waiting to be let into the sanctuary for the opening songs and prayers and my grandmother telling a little girl that she couldn't come back unless she wore a dress the next time.  This was also the church that took my Precious Moments NIV away from me because it wasn't a King James Version and thereby not worthy to be read from.  Even at 7 years old, I realized that there was something seriously not cool with these rules.  I followed them, obviously, making sure that I had on a dress and leaving my Precious Moments Bible at home.  But it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Then there was Plainview Baptist Church.  I'm actually not sure what "type" of Baptist church this was, but I attended VBS there with my godmother's family and I remember it being fun and I didn't have to wear a dress, so I liked going there.  It was here that I walked an aisle and professed faith as a child and here that I was baptized at around 9 years old.  This church holds pleasant memories for me.

There were 2 churches that my Donnie dad's family were members of - neither of which I ever felt comfortable at.  That was partially because I never felt comfortable with my Donnie dad's family and partially because these were also churches in which a woman can't darken the doors with a pair of slacks on and the KJV is held in high esteem.

And then there was Bethesda.  I was first introduced to Bethesda by my BFF Melissa when I was 14 years old.  I loved it.  Went every time I could.  Granted, it was because Bethesda had a fabulous youth group and all of my friends went there.  But also because I felt completely comfortable.  No one looked down on me because I was dressed a certain way.  No one made me feel dumb for asking a question.  No one made fun of my NIV.  There were years that I didn't go to church at all in my teen and early adult years, but at 22 years old when I was at my rock bottom and needed Jesus to take over, it was the pastors at Bethesda that made me understand what all of that meant.  My entire family (mom, Ronnie, Meg, myself, James) came to know the Lord at Bethesda and were baptized there.  I was discipled so much at Bethesda.  I learned what it means to fellowship with other believers, to be involved in God's work at the local church level, to go on mission trips...everything about my adult Christian faith was formed at this church.  I would have gladly gone to Bethesda the rest of my days.

However, God had other plans and we are at Cross Culture Church now and I love it.  My family is loved and accepted at Cross Culture.  We are able to serve, grow, give - it's a wonderful church.  And it happens to knock down some of those church traditions - we don't have a building of our own (we meet in a high school), our music is loud, most folks wear jeans on Sunday mornings.  What matters is walking in those doors to learn about the Lord, to serve Him, to love other believers, to serve our community.  What we wear doesn't matter.  The color of our skin doesn't matter.  Our politics don't matter.  Loving Jesus and each other matters.

So I guess I'm oddly grateful for those uncomfortable moments at other churches - they did shape the way I view church.  And they've taught me that church can get in it's own way if we're not careful.  If we don't keep our eye on the end goal of glorifying God, we can get very caught up in rules that make zero difference at the end of the day.  Being more like Jesus is what matters.