Sunday, July 18, 2004

Running, Church, and Community

So, it's 9:37 AM on Sunday morning and I'm struggling.  First, I am training for a marathon, so I need to go for my long run.  But there's no one else to go with me and I'm completely unmotivated (it is rainy and cold here afterall).
 
Then I think, oh it's SUNDAY which means church.  Usually it does at least.  Except I still haven't found a church here that I like.  And I suppose I am pretty picky.  Which makes me slightly annoyed at myself.  I hate viewing church like a product to be consumed.  This doesn't serve MY needs so I'm off to find someplace with a better offer.  I do believe that sometimes you have to commit to a place and just plant yourself in that community of people, even if you don't feel like it's what you want.  Because sometimes it's not all about us and what we need, sometimes it's about what other people need or what you're supposed to learn by bringing something to that community.
 
All that being said, I still can't convince myself to go back to the churches I've visited.  I felt so uncomfortable there, even though people were friendly and even though I took others with me a few times to keep me company.  It's just that I grew up in a church where everyone knew me, where I was comfortable and at home.  So as much I keep telling myself that it's good to be the outsider sometimes, that it will teach me things, that going to church can always be worthwhile if you put your heart in the right place...I just can't do it. 
 
I've only been to a few around here, but there are more.  So maybe I need to just try some other ones.  I just can feel myself being so judgmental as soon as I get into a place.  I analyze the language - what words are they using to describe god?  Then the music, the prayers, the greetings, the sermon.  Quickly categorizing the general church beliefs and comparing them to my own (at least the ones that I'm more sure about).  But, I don't know where the balance is between just happily ingesting whatever is given to me and being so overcritical that I have a hard heart and lack compassion and the openness to see the good that's going on. 
 
So I'm stuck in limbo it feels like...maybe I'll listen to some the sermon online from my home church today until I can figure out where to go next week.  And then there's that running thing...which would be so much easier if I had a group with me to do it.  A good community makes everything better, doesn't it?


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