Church and Pointed Sermons

I started working with Dan in 2001 when he joined our team in Lansing. I eventually met and started working with his wife, Melissa, as well. It was at a time when I didn't know many people in this area, and they became my Lansing Family. Dan and Melissa had me over for dinner at least once a week for what seemed to be a few years. Life has gotten much busier for all of us - their girls are in school and dance, and I live my crazy life, too.

Melissa recently invited me to see their girls in the Christmas program at their non-denominational Christian church. I've known Jordan since she was just three, and I vividly recall when Dan beeped me on the Nextel on a Saturday morning to let me know Melissa had given birth to Morgan, an 11 lb. 12 oz. baby girl. The girls are now 10 and 6, and I am amazed at how much they have grown up. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see Jordan have one of the lead roles, and both girls sing solos.

The day before, the topic of me going to church came up at breakfast with some good friends. Felicity mentioned it first, and I think she was the only one who knew I was going. A few eyebrows were raised and I explained what was motivating me to attend a service. Once they heard it was to see the girls, there seemed to be some collective relief, as if the reason made the world right again. We talked for a bit about church in general, and I remember saying that I hoped I didn't feel as uncomfortable as I did at my nephew's first communion in the Catholic church. I did feel tense the entire time at the communion, and it was a horrible feeling - knowing that I will likely attend church in the future for my nephew, but being at such odds with it personally is upsetting to say the least. But I digress - I drove to church on Sunday morning in the horrible wind storm that plagued the area, and actually arrived on time (surely to Dan and Melissa's surprise).

The program, written by one of the church members, was "Visions of Jesus: A Christmas Musical." It featured Dr. Humbug, a scientist who invented a time machine. She discovered that it worked when a shepherd magically appeared in the present. The shepherd, Rebecca, and Dr. Humbug, traveled back in time to various points in Jesus' life so that Rebecca could show Dr. Humbug the wonders of his life and death, and the importance of that for all peoples' spirituality.

The sermon that followed the program talked about how some people just can't (or won't) take that leap of faith to believe in God / god. These people seem to require proof of god's existence. The pastor went on to discuss how at times in our lives we all disbelieve something or another despite the evidence being clearly in front of us. And he rounded out the sermon with the idea that for all of the non-believers, the evidence of the wonders of god are really all around. So...did you ever feel like something was written specifically and pointedly just for you? That's how I felt at that moment about the program and the sermon, and it was off-putting at best. It was an interesting sermon to listen to, and I wasn't at all tense or upset by being at their church, which was a bit of a relief. I've been considering the sermon ever since, and I can't help but come back to the idea that yes, we are surrounded by many wonders, but why is god the explanation (or cause?)?

In summary, here's what I got out of the experience:
-It felt great to support the girls. I hadn't seen them in quite a while, and I got excited hugs and smiles, which was wonderful.
-It was wonderful to see Dan's parents and Melissa's mom and brother. I've gotten to know them over the years, and again, hadn't seen them in a quite a while. It was good to catch up, and is really one of my favorite things about the holiday season.
-I think I was more open to the ideas presented in the play and the sermon, and instead of immediately dismissing them because they are so different from what I believe, I have spent time pondering and letting the ideas roll around in my head (and I'll beat a few people to the punch - yes, I know there's plenty of space for that to happen...).
-I'm glad to know I can sit in a church and not feel tense and upset. It seems my old church is the root of what I feared was a problem with all churches. Interesting to have that disproved...
-I'm ever grateful for my Lansing Family.