This week I saw a bumper sticker that caught my eye. It read "Not Your Ordinary Sunday". Below was the name of a church. I felt that anyone who advertised their church in that way would feel comfortable talking to me about it, so I asked the driver, a person I'd met about an hour before, to tell me about his church. He explained that I would love his church and they would love for me to visit. I could wear my jeans and listen to the band play contemporary music. He assured me that it wouldn't be like my ordinary Sunday which he assumed, I believe, was me at home not going anywhere. He also wanted me to know that it wasn't what I would imagine church to be. I think he meant stuffy religious types singing ancient songs and then reading an archaic book in Old English until they felt suitably guilty and were allowed to leave.
This fascinated me. I had not said any bad words or made any rude gestures in the brief time we had known each other. I also had refrained from slanderous talk and theft. Possibly he looked at me and assumed I was guilty of gluttony. I guess he missed the Healthy Choice meal I'd eaten for lunch. Unfortunately, I had to leave and end the conversation at that point. But I've continued to mull over his words in my mind for days. And tonight they weigh heavily on my heart; so much so that I feel the need to write about this now.
It's not often that we get to see ourselves through another's eyes. You see, I myself have sported a religious sticker or two before my poor driving habits forced me to remove them out of humiliation. (Not to be confused with humility) I mean, "Jesus is my co-pilot" and "My second hat is a halo" could be down right embarrassing when you are sitting on the side of the road getting a ticket. There is nothing wrong with advertising your beliefs on your trunk, I'm just saying that you need to be ready to back it up if you are called on it. And until I improve my driving, I'm not ready to drag Jesus through the mud with me.
I'm pretty sure that anyone who is reading this knows me, but just in case I'll give the disclaimer here. I grew up attending church regularly. I've participated in organized religion off and on for most of my life. I also believe this doesn't make me holier or "more special" than anyone else. And I know without a doubt that my good will never outweigh my bad. I'm grateful that it doesn't need too. Let me know if you want to hear more about that, but right now I have something else on my mind: I'm thinking about my ordinary Sunday.
In the past few years we have visited 7 or 8 (I lost track, honestly) churches in the quest for the right place. Call me a church shopper if you will, but my heart wasn't about shopping, my heart begged to grow and learn. My heart had gotten stuck in a pothole on the "life journey" road after several years of autopilot living. I'd been on a quest for an "un-ordinary" Sunday. I can safely say I've had many variations of church at this point: Big churches, little churches, multiple denominations, and even televised church. Very convenient for those mornings when I wanted to appear holy without the bother of brushing my teeth.
Here are a few things I learned during those years of un-ordinary Sunday road trips:
1) The preacher's clothing can not be used to determine if he speaks truth. I've heard truth from pastors in jeans and lies from men in suits, and vice versa.
2) There is no one right musical style for worship. Hymns don't get you into Heaven, and neither does contemporary music.
3) The fact that I am a visitor does not mean that I don't know God, any more than your being in the church means that you do.
4) Just because I left church feeling good or bad about myself doesn't mean I "encountered" God.
5) The fact that I have faith in God doesn't mean I am gullible or stupid. Please don't repeat the same sermon every week. I will notice after the fourth Sunday.
6) I've learned not to think too highly of myself or my position in the church. There are a million just like me in other churches and they most likely are doing the same job even better.
Obviously I still have a lot to process. And I don't have all the answers. At this point I've decided that the next step for me is to buy a DeLorean. Because I think going back to the days of the early church would be the only true way to have a "Not my Ordinary Sunday" experience.
Coming Soon:
Not your Ordinary Sunday part II
Dim lights, loud music and dancing: The difference between Friday night and Sunday morning is who you bust a move for.
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