Start at the Beginning

First

     ⁸But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do, 
   what God is looking for in men and women.
It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, 
   be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don't take yourself too seriously— 
   take God seriously

Micah 6:8

     It's about time to go public with the thoughts and ideas in this head.  I've hopped onto the blog train! Who am I? I'm a ministry-minded entertainer bent on social justice.  Here, you will find song lyrics, my sermons, my thoughts on issues, youth ministry ideas, recordings, and printables.  For more information about me, hit up my profile.

     So where to start? We'll start where it all started for me: church.  Some find it overrated.  Some find it insincere.  Many find it boring.  I'm just gonna be blunt... those people are WRONG.  

     Let's say you were surfing the web and found yourself on Hulu.  You browse and find yourself attracted to the title of a show you've never heard of.  You read about it and it interests you.  You watch the episode and decide it's just awful.  Does this make you a TV hater? Of course not.  You find something you like and you spend your time watching that instead.  

     Here's another one.  Say your mom would always watch All My Children, a soap opera that you found yourself watching because it was always on.  Someone asks you someday, "What's your favorite soap opera?" and the only show you really know about is All My Children, so you say that one.  

     These are a lot like church.  I'm not suggesting that church is for your entertainment, even though you may very well be entertained at church.  It's for your soul.  Just as though you search until you find a webisode/tv show/channel you like better than others, so should you deliberately seek a church.  In this day in age, there are SO MANY churches to choose from, chances are, you will find something that speaks to you.  Perhaps you were brought up in the wrong church for you.  Your parents settled in a church that you didn't understand or agree with.  Maybe you didn't like it because you were forced to go all those years.  So, like your opinion of soap opera, it's all you really know so you just go with it.    

     By allowing yourself to be affiliated with something you don't agree with, you are doing yourself a disservice.  You owe it to yourself to put your energy into something you are passionate about.  

     What I get out of church is much more than a history lesson.  When I leave church, I'm equipped for challenges, I'm more appreciative of the beauty around me, and I get to let go of the slimy feelings of guilt and hate and uncertainty.  There's nothing like it.  Nothing.

     I suggest you challenge yourself.  Decide what it is that you love about your church, and thank God for it.  Do you have any speculations about the way you practice your faith through that church? Thank God for your speculations.  And if you're one of the many people missing out on the gift of a church home, ask yourself why.  Would it really be so awful to look for one you like?

Come on in, the water is magnificent!