Churched.

We went to church on Sunday!

My grandmother always says to me that going to church makes you as Christian as parking in a garage makes you a car.... My goal isn't to necessarily become a Christian but to learn about Christianity and see that if it's something that would work in my life. I went in with an open mind. We chose a church close to us with a large congregation so that I could observe and learn anonymously.

The band began to play and everybody around me was singing along. It was a song I didn't know, but I felt completely out of place because I didn't know the lyrics...then I notice that the lyrics are being broadcasted on two HUGE 20 foot projection screens! The melody was easy enough and the lyrics, thankfully, were really simple. I pulled the 'I am moving my lips like I got this, but not really signing'...really, that's for THEIR benefit. I can belt out any tune into my steering wheel like the next guy, but I am sure that my voice damages eardrums in real life. I noticed a lot of people were raising their hands, especially when Jesus' name came up in the song. This made me feel kind of uncomfortable (hey, I am being honest). That might have something to do with the fact that the only place I've seen this done was on Sister Act where a VERY African-American Whoopie puts up her hand with that African-American attitude that Southern women seem to have (to clarify, it's an attitude of strength and self-empowerment) and says, "ohhh honey-child I TESTIFY!" I get they're raising their hands to the sky in worship of Jesus, but that might take some getting used to...I will make more of an effort though to not think about Sister Act when I see this anymore...There was this one girl though with a ribbon (you know those circus ribbons, the long thin ribbons tethered to a stick?) who was ribbon-ing during the music, and kneeling with her hands in the air and rocking back and forth...that was not like anything I'd ever seen, but it was clear to me that this girl LOVES her some Jesus!!

The pastor was hilarious, a metaphorical genius really. His message was one of hope, love, empowerment and encouragement. His metaphors were humorous and totally relatable. We're doing a seven week series on Jacob, and his significance. The series is called "holy rotten scoundrel" he even joked about us dipping into the old testament by saying, "I know a lot of you are like 'the old testament, somebody is about to get sacrificed or something'". See what I mean? Funny guy.

At the end we did communion, Jordan and I weren't able to really discuss things in a private way, so I just did what everybody else did - I ate the cereal and I drank the juice - He eventually told me what that action symbolized. At first I felt bad, you're only supposed to do this if you have a relationship with God, a good relationship. I justified it by saying that God and I are OK and that my relationship with him isn't bad. Cause it's not. Me and him, we're good.

When we got back to the truck, Jordan asked me what I thought. To be perfectly honest with you all, I began to sob. I can't explain it, I don't know why I was crying and I don't know what brought it on. Even now, thinking back, I don't have an explanation. What I take from that though is that going to church made me feel SOMETHING (not that feeling things was ever hard for me to do), but I mean...it spawned a reaction, an emotional reaction. It made Jordan feel something too, which is great! So...next Sunday, we church.