Sabbath Group

A couple of days ago I asked you to imagine Church as it could be. It seems only fitting then that I tell you a bit about how Church is, right now, for me.

Church, in my experience and history, has always had two components; a heart and a backbone. I went to church for the heart, and the backbone helped support that. Let me explain.

When I first started going to church (First Baptist of Spring Lake), the church itself was the backbone. Sunday services, prayer meeting, etc. These supported what truly drew me to Church -Youth Group, which was the heart of it for me. I was drawn by the community and the relationships that Youth Group offered.

College had the backbone of Bible College and the heart of Monday Midnight Prayer. Post-College had Seacoast Church and EveryTuesday, but more importantly, "Family Dinner," a Sunday night prayer gathering. It was when I moved back to Michigan that things started to change. I bounced from community to community, not having a strong backbone. I did have "Friday Nights at the Muffin Place," which was a great way to grow in relationships.

And now I've moved to Seattle and have not found a typical "church" to partake with and of. I don't have the backbone that was so familiar and helpful as I was growing up. But recently, I've found the heart of a community that truly draws me - Sabbath Group.

We meet weekly in each others homes and have a meal and drink wine. We take turns sharing how our lives are going and what God is doing. We share hardships and successes, laugh and cry, drink and dream. Tomorrow, we'll get together and make homemade pizza's and watch the Superbowl.

So that's the place I'm in with Church. My wife and I have talked recently about finding the space and place to reintroduce some sort of backbone to our lives, but I feel no pressure. It's been an interesting journey to here; but it's helped me realize what's important and what's not; what I will fight for and what I will take a pass on; what's worth the trouble and what's not.