Gettin' those relationships...

When I started this whole church-search thing (which, in case you've missed me sayin' so, is over. I'm a stick-with-what-works kinda guy. I feel fine, thanks), one of my goals was to meet some nice, cute, interesting Christian gals.

And I have.

More importantly, I'd like to think I have a pretty fair start at a friendship with a rather interesting gal. We've e-mailed and now we're even Facebook pals. Awww....

Oh yeah, and she's engaged. (Twist!)

Yes, I will take whatever relationships come my way. Jogging buddies, church compatriots, female acquaintances, and even "more". But I'm rather content with what's come my way.

First off, she's a nice gal. Interesting. Family had a rough start, born Jewish, just got baptised last week (or is that last-last week now? I dunno.), an interesting person to be sure.

Then there are the cats at my small groups home who are ridiculously tiny and cute and don't mind me picking them up and mercilessly petting them. ;)

I have the people I can't live without. I have my associates. My coworkers. My fellow congregates. And some folks that are a gloriously messy hybrid of the above. All in all, I'd say I have a stash of interesting and amusing relationships.

Besides, if you're working on a relationship with Christ, why not start off with other mere mortals? They're good people, darn it.

Out of the "office"

As far as protocol goes, I was a pretty lousy Christian.

I wasn't in church once! No home church. No new "hip" church. Nope, instead I was partaking in the Big Climb. Annual fundraiser to get folks to give money to leukemia and lymphoma research. In return, I walked up a flight of stairs. Twice. (Shrugs) Somehow it all works out and they get mucho dinero.

The on Monday night I skipped small group (c-group, bible study; call it whatever makes ya happy) because a friend of mine was having a CD release party. I still have a cassette tape he made in high school. When you've been friends for 13 years... you're kinda obligated. ;)

With all that, it felt like a bit of a God-less week. I have two female friends who I absolutely love to death and can't imagine them being unChristian. But they both say they don't feel like attending church right now. Actually, I can think of three. One doesn't like the feeling of forced community, one didn't like the gossip that was being portrayed as "Christian concern", and another decided to do what she wanted to do and became ostracized from her Christian peers.

Feels like the church (as people) kinda failed those gals. I live a pretty quiet life, so there really isn't any gossip to deal with. I slide into church, have a good time, and can slide out with as little conversation as I please.

Still, the Sunday service focuses me. The Monday night bible study teaches me things I hadn't considered before. I value those kinds of experiences.

I didn't pray before I went up the stairs. I didn't bless my friend's synthesizer before he started to perform. No, I read my bible some, did my standard praying in the morning, and hoped that God was taking care of my friends. Not as God-less as I made it out to be.

With all that said, I appreciate the weekly touchpoint that Sunday services can provide.

Now we'll see how well I can attend and enjoy both services I plan to go to tomorrow. (I still think 3 ours of churchness is a fair chunk!) Toodles

A Sunday with no church. And I'm planning it that way!

Yes, scandal of scandals; this is the one Sunday a year where I plan to skip church.

http://www.llswa.org/site/TR/Events/BigClimb?px=1071381&pg=personal&fr_id=1040

I figure it falls under the purview of Jesus healing on the Sabbath. (No, I'm not claiming to be just like Jesus! I'm just sayin', if it's good enough for him...) Hey, it's only one Sunday a year, right?

If nothing else, I consider it a way of thanking God for sparing my best friend and letting her survive cancer.

Best case scenario, I get some folks and friends to donate to a good cause. I get nothing out of it except exercise and time with my loved ones. (Well, maybe I'll get a mug and t-shirt. Nothing of "significant material or financial value", how's that?)

Breakin' the rules. And still okay with it. Go figure. ;) I reckon God'll understand and forgive me.

Who knows, God might even bless me too!

Group Hug. Well, at least gather...

I rather like my alone time. My cat tends to provide more than enough interaction for my day to day routine. (Especially when she overeats and get to interact with her meal. Sigh.) However, my churches don't really see it that way.

At my newer church, the pastor gave a sermon on the sacraments, specifically communion. To him, communion is the one thing at church that he will not skip. He can leave out the sermon, the songs can be glossed over, everything is up for grabs if it really needs to be. Except communion. To him, communion is the defining way in which we interact with God, and participate in a physical remembrance of what Jesus did for us. Due to the grand importance of the manner, he feels that we should be sharing that experience. He thinks all experiences should be shared. He won't do private baptisms, private weddings; none of that. He is all about the group/community experience.

And because I'm a wild and crazy guy, (thanks Steve Martin) and because it was the first Sunday of the new year, I figured I should just go to my old church and check in with folks. Talked about my parents coming to town, talked about people and their jobs. Heard about people's sons and general church day to day stuff. Nothing horribly earth-shattering, but I was certainly able to slide right back into that group pretty darn easily.

I like doing things on my own. I spent pretty much all of Monday just being by myself and watching movies. After church on Sunday, I essentially did the same thing. Reading, movies, I like things quiet. (One very strong reason why I can't live in downtown.) It isn't that I plan to stay single all my life and become crazy cat-man who sits on his front porch in his rocking chair yelling at kids as they throw things at his house. (To be fair, although I do have a cat and a rocking chair, I have yet to acquire the front porch. So I'm safe for now.) But I'm all for convenient interaction.

I read my bible on my own. I pray in my head or when I'm alone in the car. I enjoy my bible groups and interaction, sure. But do I make the effort to connect with people around me? Share the church experience? Well, let's just say that I don't always go to the fullest row of seats...

Yeah, "doing church" as a group is something I've sort of dropped out of, if I was ever that good at it in the first place. I often sat on the "youth" pew, but with the exception of the cute girl I had a crush on here or there, I was just as happy to sit with mom (she had candy) or by myself (more leg room).

I guess that means I have to talk to more than two people a week, huh? This is gonna take some work...

Home again. And visiting that second home?

Labor Day weekend? Over. Summertime? Basically kaput. (This is the Seattle neighborhood. After the 2nd of September, you just expect some rain and see what happens. Sun is a bonus.) But the church hunt goes on! Well... I'm not sure "hunt" is the word I'd use this week.

I want to keep trying Quest. It's the first church I "visited", the first church whose website clicked with me (pun intended), and the fact that they are willing to focus on homeless and social justice? When the rest of world wants to ignore "bums" and go to war... well, let's just say we agree on many topics.

Plus, my "first" speaker was back. I like this Leah person. She'll admit that she's not perfect, while in the same speech, harass us for not sitting in the first two rows. Blessed with intelligence and a verbage that works for me. Music wasn't as great as a few weeks ago, but it still worked for me. The sermon was telling us how we shouldn't be forming little whispering groups, discussing "what do you think about what this person did?" No, if we have a problem, we should actually go and -talk- to people about what we see. Communication! Growing a spine! Two things I'm quite fond of. ;) Misunderstandings bug me. Now I just have to get off my butt and find out how much they care about me "shunning" communion. ;) Gotta practice what was preached, I suppose...

And since I went to the 9:15 meeting, that meant I had plenty of time to make the 11 at North Seattle Friends. Y'know, check in on the home front, catch those who hadn't been at camp the previous weekend, etc. Besides, I still like my church, darnit! I was headed up to my usual spot in the soundbooth (Look, I can sit up still and prooper in one service. But if I'm gong to two services, there's gonna be some slouching in that second one. I'm only so mighty.), Lorraine caught me and gave that non-verbal gesture/look that she had a litlte speech/explanation for me. I got comfy. Short version? She'd forgotten to ask for people to take offering, which I used to do, so while the last-minute selectees were coming forward, she informed those that didn't already know that I was on a search for the love of my life. Not how I'd like it all to go, but it is what it is and that's how it is. I'm flexible.

Regardless, she expressed a desire to have me come in front of the church and tell people what was going on so I didn't pull a vanshing Philip act. (Personally? I like vanishing Philip. Anyone who has visited with me will tell ya that I exit without saying anything. I don't see a need make a big entrance or exit. I draw enough attention already, I don't need more everytime I go from A to B. What you call "rude", I call... um... humble? Maybe it's just my introvert side.) I don't get asked to speak about myself in front of church, and I honestly have no fear of crowds, so I told her whatever she wanted to do was fine.

Since it is my church, and this is my blog, I shall summarize the speech in the under used, valley-girl dialect.


L- "So, I like, found Philip... who was out... like, I dunno... shopping maybe? Getting some totally gnarly threads?"

Me- "Totally. Did you see the shine on these boots? Aren't they like, totally awesome?!"

L- "To-tal-ly. Anyways, so there's been like, I don't know... a month? And like, before then, Philip was all like, 'Dudette. Lorraine. I'm like, totally bumming. There're like, I mean, nobody cool to hang with! I'm like, crushing for a posse to go hittin' it with, and like, there're like, no peeps anywhere! I'm so totally bumming! Like, foreves, y'knnow?"

Me- "That is -so- not how I phrased it"

L- "Whatevah! So like, Phil has been out on his own? Y'know, like, searching and looking and... y'know, like, not being here! And he's like, not hating on us, c'mon... I know that's so totally what you guys were thinking. But he's totallly awesome. And he wants others who are totally awesome too! Then he might like, bring those killer dudes back to us killer dudes, and we could be like... so -totally- awesome killer dudes!"

Me- "To-tal-ly. Fer sure."


Ahem. The only thing that really set my ears on edge (and caused a cringe, I'll admit) was that she stated that I was searching for my beloved. :

A: Never in my life have I uttered the phrase, "I am out to find my beloved." Ever. Beloved? Really? You don't think I could come up with a better word than that? Fellow flannel fan. Co-comics cohort. The shoelaces to my sneakers. The remote to my tv. Someone to keep me in check. But beloved? Come now.

B: I sort of put up my shields because it's about more than being single or attached. Would I
like to be single? Well, that depends. Am I going to call off this church quest just because I find there are no females I find attractive? Nope. Friends too! Don't discount the value of having females sure, but friends are still important! I have very few Christian friends. Especially in this area. I could use more! Like... y'know... more than 3. I'm just sayin'.

Let's just say that I was mildly taken aback that it was apparently me on some colonial wife-search. But again, I'm sure my paranoia was activated, what with "defending my actions" in front of the church. ;) Besides, all I had to do was tell them I was doing fine, say maybe three sentences, and go back to my booth to hide.

Oh, and I avoided the crowd of people around me. Ick. Look, I'm a hugger. I'm all for hugging. But a crowd up people all smothering you? That massive crowd that loses pretty much all intimacy? yeah, that's not me. You want to talk to me? Talk to me. The end. You want to pray for me? Go for it. But a big blob of people doesn't comfort me. It makes me feel like I'm one joker away from a bad game of pigpile. And I'd be the pig. Happily Lorraine asked about that beforehand, and I told her I don't do that sort of group activity, given the option. :)

Next week? I dunno. I want to go back to Quest, but I drove by a Greenlake church that seemed to have my demographic going into it, and I keep telling myself I'll go to Bothell Foursquare, even though it seems like the most impersonal of all churches on my mental list. No wonder I keep putting it off... ;)

What the sam hill? (An intro)

Howdy!

Not too long ago, I found myself sitting in church, wishing there were more people my age. Or even, some. In the span of 20-35, it's pretty much just me as a regular attender. (I'm currently 28. We call that a "barren wasteland" in societal terms.) I e-mailed my pastor, told her I was going on hiatus, and received numerous words of encouragement from my church and family. (Which if you really want, are all available to read in this blog.)

Now that gives you the general idea of what this is all about. But to be more specific?

• It's about a 20's something guy who has no trouble making friends, but is in Seattle, the 2nd-least Christian/religion seeking city (Hey, I could always be in Portland)
• It's about a guy who's been single for quite a while, and has tried numerous methods (eHarmony is just silly, and Equally Yoked? Snicker-enducing.) of meeting Christian poeple.
• It's about different churches, different styles, different buildings, but hopefully the same goal. (I.e, People+church=God time. Care for one another. Jesus is the way to salvation.)
• And of course, it's about the things that go on in those churches that are amusing, silly, fun, inspirational, or just provoke a good yarn.

What can I say, where Church and my curiousity combine; I get Churchiosity. (Soon to be patent pending! Not that anyone else will use that phrase. Ever.)

Toss in some comments, send thoughts my way, recommend some churches, and lemme know what ya think.

Toodles

-PC, really likes typing. Especially on quests where he has absolutely no idea what he's doing