Sunday sluggishness

[banzai]

Nice to enjoy the patio again without fear of random interruption from our landlord. It's been good to swap stories: our upstairs neighbors are enjoying the same relief, and one of our former upstairs neighbors dropped by and commiserated with us over beer yesterday

Comments

[rockinrn]

Pastor Kevin, our pastor at Third Reformed in Pella, said something like that in his sermon last week. You grew up around here, you know the stigma that Pella has and most have unfortunately embraced this. It's what you wear and what church you go to. Chuck and Lib chose this church when we moved to Pella three years ago. I still have issues with it's size. I feel that when you walk into your place of worship, you should feel "at home." Kind of like, wow, this is what I've been searching for my whole life. I don't get that there. I'm surprised that Chuck and Lib do. This is a church that requires $46,000 to run per week. PER WEEK!!!! It astounds me that a place to praise our Father could require that much money just to have the doors open to worship. Pastor Kevin has a good heart though. I like his sermons/teachings, usually. He has said several times in his sermons that we need to think about what it is that we come to church for. Is it to see friends? Is is to "show others" that we are religious? Is it to worship our Lord? Is it just to have a good cup of coffee? Why do we come every Sunday to TRC, and when we are there, are we loving to others? Is it a place those that they outreach to feel comfortable? I can say from my perspective...no. Whether it is my issue for feeling like I don't belong or that I am less because I don't wear the right clothes...maybe. That is my struggle and I fight it every day I wake up in Pella. On the other hand, we have been going there for three years and have not become involved at all. That is our fault, just being lazy at times and we were badly burned at one of the churches we went to in Ottumwa. I need to get over that fear of being hurt by extending myself.

On a lighter note...glad to hear that things are better on the home front with the traveling landlords. That's fantastic to have some freedom again, isn't it?

[banzai]

Third Reformed was my church when I lived in Pella, too (1995-98), and they seem to have been growing and growing. There's lots to be thankful for in God's work in that, but there are costs to being so big that make me shy away from it in principle (though in practice, I think there's also something to be said for laying down my preferences in order to follow God where He's at work). I can almost hear Kevin saying that.

Sorry to hear of the church burn-that kind of thing too often drives people from God (or from the church, but generally speaking, I don't believe one can authentically love Jesus and reject His Body, Bride, and people-at best, that's a massively dysfunctional relationship). I'm really glad you're hanging in even when there's much to endure and much to forgive.