First Time In A Long Time

It's been a long time (10 years or so) since Kelly and I have had to check out a church as regular folk, but we did it tonight. I must admit - it was a bit funky. It funky to come into a church setting with a different set of eyes. Usually, I've gone in as a potential employee/pastor. I've looked at a church environment 1) as a place to worship, but 2) as a place to work. For good or for bad, that tweaks the way you visit a church.

Kelly and I went in excited and hopeful. I had heard of this church through a good friend of mine, Dave Booram. We walked in simply trying to get our kids to the children's environments. We got lost and went to the wrong place - stupid first time visitor! Once we found the right spot for Sarah and Parker, it's weird giving them over to complete strangers. You want to say: These are our kids. Care for and lead them well. And if our red numbers flash on the screen, we'll kill you.

From there it was off to the gathering of Apex Community Church and worship as strangers. Weird, but ok. It's life. And to make a long story short: we dug it. It's an earthy place seeking to connect a network of house churches into the body of Christ. I think it's where we are going to land for this season. Our kids liked it (they had face painting and the people were fun). Worship was very good. Teaching was good (lead pastor looks like Paul Giamatti). They had a time of prayer and ministry which was real and powerful at the end.

Next step is we'll go a little deeper and check out a house church and see how God's works from there. You know what else, I'm committed to doing: just going in and being Seth - a guy looking to connect into authentic community and for place to see the Kingdom of God come alive in and around he and his family. I don't even want to tell them about being in ministry for the last 12 years or seminary degree. I just want to ease in and have them know me for me, not me as former pastor dude (the people pleaser/performance part of me wants to scream that out - I've got issues). Make sense?

We'll that's my dealio. I've rambled too long. Kelly and I are hopeful about what Jesus is working out here. No reason to tip-toe in - we go straight up cannonball style.

Grace and peace.