Monday Memory

Did I ever tell you about church shopping in college?

I read Melli's blog yesterday about church shopping. As I told her, I'm kind of back in that boat after 20+ years since DH is no longer a pastor. It took me back though to how we USED to do it....

When we were in college (in the early 80's), there were a bunch of us who went to church together. Sometimes it was the chapel on campus. Most of the time, though, we wanted more upbeat music and worship. We didn't all have cars, so we were often at the mercy of whoever was driving.

It was not uncommon for us to "let our fingers do the walking". This was a popular commercial for the Yellow Pages in the phone book back then that said, "Let your fingers do the walking, it's a snap!" So, one of us would open the yellow pages to "Churches" and we would close our eyes and point. Whatever our finger landed on...that's where we'd go. Believe me we found ourselves in some VERY interesting places with some very interesting people.

This is, however, how we found the church that we went to more often than not. It blessed us. We learned there. The worship was just what we wanted. The pastor was dynamic and could speak right into our hearts.

I've been tempted a couple of times this "church shopping" go around, to let my fingers do the walking. I have decided, though, that I am simply NOT that adventurous anymore!

No, THIS TIME, I surfed the Internet and talked to friends about churches to visit. At least that way, you can see more than print about a church...you can see pictures about it. You can also see more than one 3"X3" ad space.

We've gone to one church three different weeks now. It is one I found on the Internet, in a pretty "random" search. I really researched it there. We (DSs 3 and 4 and I) tried it once and enjoyed it. DH went for the first time yesterday. They are a young church (only three months old)...I do find myself thinking about a little tweak here or there that may make the experience better for visitors (I suppose cause DH now does this sort of thing for a living)...BUT for the most part, it "feels" right. Of course, I am having to get used to not listening to my DH preach (which I love)...but I DO learn from the pastor.

As I reflect on church shopping now and then, I suppose our fingers still "walk", it's just a bit different today than they did 20 years ago...instead of "walking across a yellow page", they "dance across a keyboard" and a whole world is waiting to be explored.

And, who knows? Maybe there IS still a BIT of that "Adventurer" of my past there somewhere!

Happy Monday, everyone!!