POWER BLOG

Link: http://powerofaith.com

Yesterday was a beautiful day! The temperature was perfect and the sun was shining. Today is not so perfect, but still nice, although it's windy and a bit chilly. My wife and I did a little grocery shopping and on the way home, we see a bunch of teenagers on all four corners of an intersection holding signs. "Rummage Sale"

Knowing that it was useless to even try to resist, since or car automatically turns when it see's a garage sale sign, my wife and I didn't try, we went to it. As it turned out, it was a "church" rummage sale. Before we left the sale my wife and I were just a little pleasantly surprised, but before I tell you why, I'll have to back up a bit.

You see, for 7 or 8 years, I played in a praise and worship group at a very large church. After 7 or 8 years of watching people on the stage that seemed to be expressing "Look at Me", as opposed to "Look at God" and a fairly sterile message, we decided to leave.

It's nothing against that Church in particular, we just finally realized that we were getting allot more out of watching Christian television, reading and talking to each other. My wife and I thought we'd try some of the smaller local Churches, closer to our house and see what they were like.

We stopped in one down the road from us and after the service, a very nice older gentleman stopped and said hello. He didn't have any prefabricated speech, he just seemed comfortable and natural talking with us. However, out of the corner of my left eye loomed a dark shadow! To acknowledge this dark presence is the kiss of death.

Well, unfortunately, I acknowledged that it was there, and there she was! "The Church Lady" - She's everywhere! Oh, you've seen her before, (probably right in your own Church) She's the one dressed almost "Too Neatly". You can tell just by looking at her that her house is spotless and you could probably eat off the floor.

It was too late. I acknowledged her presence, so she moved in, completly cutting off the old man, who we were enjoying talking with. So now, the interrogation begins. Now that she has destroyed the competition, she's free to stand just a little too much in your personal space for comfort.

Now comes the flood of personal questions. Everything from "where do you live?" to "What do you do for a living?" These questions of course, are all designed to see if you fit into their club. (the elite) I of course, have to use amazing self control to keep from asking her if she's writing a book. (and sometimes I haven't done so well in that department)

I sometimes wonder why they don't spare the time and effort and just take down your license number and do a background check? At every Church we tried out, "she was there". Oh, a different face, but it was her!

My whole point, (small as it is) is that this church rummage sale was a pleasant alternative. Everything wasn't set up picture perfect, there were teenagers running around, doing what teenagers do, (being obnoxious - haha) and the lady in charge was just plain, normal folk.

It was as easy as talking to the neighbor over the back fence. We felt welcome without someone with a canned speech and a bunch of questions attempting to welcome us. If these people represent their church, I'd consider attending. (two thumbs up)