For the past several months, I’ve been trying to find a
church. This is quite a lot like dating…
There is a first impression based on appearance. You seek out and wait for similarities to
arise, subconsciously hoping the experience is to some extent a reflection of
yourself. You compare the reality to
your ideal and measure the proximity or distance of one against the other. (A strongly foul odor would immediately mean a
no go...)
And, like dating, I have my priorities: excellent (and
educated) Biblical teaching, a moving worship service, and strong community, i.e. friendly
seeming people. I specify that the people must seem friendly because there is no way
one could deduce their true level of friendliness from just one visit. But I stand a better chance that the people are friendly if they seem so.
Needless to say, my search has yielded few results worth
revisiting. (Much like dating…) Perhaps
my priorities are too demanding. Perhaps
I’m looking in the wrong places and haven’t met the “right church” yet.
I’ve noticed, however, that as I walk with God, my
priorities are shifting, or better: reordering. Hearing the right message or singing the right songs has grown less important than finding the right community...
