My People, Part 2

Thanks, y’all, for the replies. I figure I ought to give an update:

Though not on the weekend I wanted to, I did get to visit the emerging church – and a fascinating visit it was. The day was one of the first pretty ones we’d had and, as I drove through some lovely countryside, I found myself much more interested in spending my day out on one of the farms than cooped up inside. Imagine my surprise when I drove up to a church that looked more like a barn, next to an historic farmhouse and situated on sixty-some-odd acres of land. It was a good first impression :).

Wonders did not cease, however, with the exterior. Though the service was very much what I am accustomed to (same music – same liturgy, but that’s a different story), some of the content was different. This is the only church I’ve ever been in that recognized the existence of Earth Day. The sermon spoke about God’s revelation in creation and our responsibility to care for it, not only as good stewards, but also as good neighbors to our fellow humans, particularly those less fortunate. And after the message, a member of the church who is an environmentalist for the Sierra Club gave some practical pointers on how normal people can be more “eco-friendly.” It was altogether a good service. Oh, and I should also mention that the church keeps bees and makes its own honey. Fascinating folk. I’ll have to re-visit sometime.

This past weekend, however, I returned to my home church. And that was a happy thing because, for better or worse (for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health), it is My Church. It’s where I’ve been set and it is where I will minister with the measure of grace I’ve been given. Heaven knows they need it, after all. There are so many – of all stripes and sides – who have experienced rejection and its attendant loneliness at the hands of fellow believers. (Indeed, un-love seems to be the major export of the Church – even to its own.) But I have to believe that we can turn that around. If my own pain can yield comfort for them, if my experience (and perhaps even my postmodern outlook) can provide them shelter and a place to stand, it all will have been worthwhile.