what a day! this morning, we awakened early and headed to church...avalon church. for the past few months, we have had church at home. it has been good for a season. i have a feeling we'll do it again from time to time, but now i feel i'm ready to venture out again into the church world.
but this time i'm taking it slow.
i really enjoyed it. the people were nice and helpful, and they let me just be, which for now means that they let me hide. i'll emerge when i'm ready, when i feel i can trust. for now, i'm watching and taking it all in.
last night, i was encouraged as i looked at their website. it is a great site. someone has a pretty good sense of humor, and it came through. i have gotten in trouble when i have tried to make church fun in the past, so i was excited when they made jokes when introducing their staff on the website. i also was very much attracted to their outreach. this upcoming saturday, they will be ministering to single moms and shut-ins, doing practical things to help them out. one day, i will join them.
many churches talk about excellence, but few do anything about it. i get excited when i see excellence. i saw it today in everything they did. nothing spectacular, but what was done was done well. the leader in me felt the spotlight shine down from heaven with a host of angels all with outstretched hands singing, "ahhhh!"
the student pastor did a wonderful job introducing the new series called "captive." i was challenged, yet encouraged. what he said nailed me, yet i didn't feel condemned. i felt the grace and mercy of GOD washing my heart and spirit kind of like when you wash the dirt and grime off a truck you went mudding in.
i know better than most that no church is perfect, but how refreshing it is to see a minister be transparent. he didn't have it all together. he admitted it. he told on himself. he admitted his brokenness. and in so doing, he encouraged me in my own journey.
i think i'll be back. they're worth a second look.
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