Pookie and I headed into Vancity for church. A good friend of mine was being ordained and had invited me to be part of the service. An added bonus was that it was at the church I had pastored at for 10 years...so lots of good memories. Pookie and I had time for a quick coffee/hot chocolate at "my" coffee shop and a peek in the pet shop to check out baby kittens. Then we headed to church.
As we entered we were given a hand made clay cup. There was art and fabric on the walls representing both the season of Pentecost and the book of John (the current sermon series). We were greeted with hugs, kisses and kind words by so many friends. The ordination service was simple, beautiful and very moving.
I brought Pookie because I want her to understand that everyone is uniquely gifted to serve God. I want to imprint on her brain that she could be a pastor too. That the God we love is an equal opportunity God. The reality is that my kids are too young to remember that once upon a time, I was a pastor. I don't know if I will be one again, but for now it was a blessing to watch my friend accept this vocation.
7 comments:
Is commuting to your Vancity church really so impossible? Your writing was so light, so full of life, just in that one paragraph... I missed it for you. Or maybe with you?
I have this pesky part of my theology that says, yes, it is impossible to commute. Plus the church is kinda snobbish that way. If you don't live in the 'hood, then you aren't totally welcomed there. However, I think there would be copious amounts of grace offered to me. I maybe just need to make the effort, with the blessing of my family.
*Warning: tangent ahead. Sorry, but your comment got me thinking!
I feel the same way about commuting to church. It makes me feel all kinds of terrible, for many different reasons.
That said, certain church/life events have led our family to the place where we don't really have an option to attend a neighbourhood church. Things have all of a sudden become much less black and white.
Part of me feels angry that we can no longer walk to church every Sunday, and that we are not welcome to worship within the context of our own community. Part of me wants to just give up on church altogether.
Today, however, we "commuted" to church for the first time. And I couldn't believe how good it felt to be back in church again. My soul was nourished in a way it hadn't been in a long, long time. And all this, despite the fact that we had to drive 25 minutes to get there.
I still hate the idea of driving to church, but I'm realizing that things don't always work out the way we would like them to.
Just a thought.
I grew up commuting to church and didn't know Jesus frowned on it. I guess I thought of it as just expanding the circle as opposed to stepping outside of it. I get the theology that says be church where you are, but where you are is not just geography and Sunday probably isn't the only place you're the church. You know?
Julia Anna, I liked your tangent.
I don't disagree with either of you. It's more the fact that when I step out of myself and engage others and get to a place where inviting them to church with me is an option....I have a hard time saying, just jump in your car and follow me for 30 minutes. I want to be able to say, it is just down the street.
Julie, my heart is torn up about your situation. In hoping to welcome all, the church has made it unwelcome for you and your wife, and those on the far right. Both segments are gone from that church. I'm glad you found a church that fed you yesterday.
Though I am loathe to be prolonging this tangential conversation, I feel that it's important for me to add to it.
I find it really frustrating when people equate the unwelcome anti-gay Christians feel in the church with the lack of welcome experienced by our family. Realizing that many people in your church do not share your theology on one subject can be jarring. But it is very possible to live well within that tension. We all do it everyday to varying degrees of success.
But it is another thing entirely when your very family is offered a second-class status within the church. When you are offered a lukewarm "welcome" with a ball of strings attached to it, commuting to a community who will embrace you and understand you can be a life-giving experience.
Mango,
Did you interprete my comment as equating the two? If so, I hope you know that is not what I meant. Rather, just an observation that there was a distinct lack of both sides in attendance, whether that was based on welcome or not.
I appreciate you pointing out the faulty/unclear writing there.
Church. So damn complicated.
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