What I Look For in a Church

So my friend Elizabeth dragged me to her church yesterday. She really did drag me- she called me every Sunday morning for 2 months to gently remind me that church was about to start if I wanted to drag my sinful self in.

I never did- until yesterday.

If you don't know me well, here is something you should know- I'm a watcher. Especially in new situations, I notice EVERYTHING!

So I walk into this new church and I'm skeptical- because that's who I am- I don't know these people and I don't trust this church and I will watch until I have reason to believe otherwise. The first thing I notice is the cheesy worship music- I hate cheesy worship music, so I roll my eyes. Some people are raising their hands- that has always kinda weirded me out...

Next is the neighbor greeting part that makes me wanna run screaming to the land of Germ-X, but I resist- Aaaahhhhhhhh church!

The pastor begins to speak and he cracks a few jokes and I'm not really listening because I'm focused on the little boy in front of me and how he is obsessed with his daddy and I'm thinking that he is adorable and I would kinda like to have a little kid to be obsessed with me like that- then I would like to give him back to his parents :)

I guess I was subconsciously listening to the sermon because I heard the pastor say something about drugs and the congregation bursts out laughing. Confused, I look to Elizabeth and she explains that they are laughing because the pastor has been to prison.

WHAT?

He immediately acknowledged the laughter and explained that his congregation was laughing because they knew his story and if visitors wanted to read it, they could pick it up in the back of the room.

Prison, huh?

Elizabeth would later explain to me that he spent some time in jail (presumably for drug possession) and that he accepted Christ while he was there. When he was released, he went to Duke Divinity School, got married, and had 5 kids- what a life!

Immediately upon hearing that the pastor spent time in prison, my attitude toward that church changed- I know, I know, it doesn't make sense, but that's just how I work...

I noticed that the pastor was wearing jeans and a t-shirt and I liked that he looked comfortable- made me feel comfortable. I liked that people felt comfortable commenting to one another during service and nobody gave them the evil eye. I liked the fact that two homeless guys who I recognized from Fayetteville St sat in the front row of the congregation. And I liked that the pastor had been in prison.

I'm not pledging my allegiance to this new church or to any church for that matter. But for yesterday, it was exactly what I was looking for in a church.

Thank you Elizabeth!