Day 10, Sunday worship

I went to a local church today. FW and I had gone maybe a dozen times when trying to find a church. The music is decent, but not perfect, and that was a turn off for her. The music was also getting progressively louder, and was painful at times. FW is such a talented singer, but hates to perform in public (at least whenever I was in her life). It's a shame, since she has an amazing gift. Anyway, back to the church service...

The other thing that we found disappointing about the church is that the message is often made a little more pop-culture than it needs to be. I felt that the pastor was pretty interesting, and actually dove pretty deep at times, so I decided to go back. I think that I liked what I saw. They moved into a new facility, and seem to be developing a community. I will be going back on Wednesday for their bible study service. I can't say that I agree completely with the pastor's teachings, and disagreed on a few, based upon my own relationship with God. In the past, I wold let that be enough to declare my Sundays better spent elsewhere, but not now. I am content to listen to other viewpoints and experiences, and consider whether or not I feel like there is new insight from them, without judging the messengers.

There is another church, smaller, also in town, that has some of the same feel, maybe with a little less mass-market pop to it, and I'll probably go to some of their Sunday services as well. The worship services are at exactly the same time, so I can't do a double header, and must choose one or the other. I might do Sundays with the smaller one and Wednesdays with the larger one from time to time. I need to get engaged in a community. I also need to find or make some volunteer opportunities. I feel like I need to give something to this world beyond my day job.

It probably blows many people's minds to think of attending two or more churches as an ongoing thing, but I don't see it as a heresy. One of the things that I disagree with is the idea that there is only one right way to heaven, and that anybody living can have that exactly figured out. I have also felt what I believe to be grace, and that has come when I have not been following any particular church's exact ideology.

God bless you all. I know that I have been blessed.