Let me tell you why this makes me nervous
My stomach starts to aching,
when I see my seat's been taken
OOOOHHHH Lord, I'm late for service♫"
Remember that?! BET Comicview why did you become so wack and go away?
I've decided that the Sunday post will always have something in it about my church/spiritual experience. I know, right now...I have an audience that is Jewish/Agnostic/Christian/etc., but...like I said before: I'm not writing to the audience. I have to just do me.
In any case, today was all church all the time. TWO, that's right TWO services! They were very different. Like night and day. There's a big difference between "black church" and "white church" but you know what is the same? Smatterings. In many black churches, there is a random smattering of white people. It is likewise in the white church. I caught the eye of a few darkies. We TOO can praise and worship with an electric guitar. Oh yeah! Can we say Tye Tribbett? This song is a little old, but I still rock out to it in my car from time to time:
Both church experiences were interesting, to say the least. I don't want to berate anyone's church, and so I'll leave out names to protect the innocent.
Black Church
DC is SOOOOO so so so so very GHETTO! I can't stress that enough. I think all black stereotypes are based on people from DC Metro. Here, the stereotypes are true. Hahaha (I'm only 1/2 kidding). Seeing as that I've lived a pretty transient lifestyle (no I am not homeless, I move for work) I've church hopped quite a bit. Today I can FINALLY say: I've seen it all. They took offerings on CREDIT, literally people were up at the front swiping their VISA/Mastercard/AMEX (truly accepted EVERY where) and signing. I almost lost it...they probably would have thought I was "slain in the spirit" but in reality...I was quaking under the power of hilarity. Also, take a deep breath...you WON'T believe me: they had Auto-Tune. I kid you not!! And they sang a snippet from a VERY SECULAR song, tried to remake it into something "holy" a la Drake.
♫ Cause I like God, you like God too, and they like God, we like God too ♫
Click on the Drake link if you don't recognize the song. **Disclaimer: I don't really listen to rap music, but if I did it wouldn't be something so derogatory. Admittedly, the beat is very catchy, but I don't think this song should have been remade into a "church song" and DO NOT CLICK ON THAT LINK IF YOU DON'T WANT YOUR CHURCHY SENSIBILITIES CRUSHED**!!! :
Shocked doesn't even begin...
White Church
This put me in the mind of my church in Chicago, just full of white people. It's similar in that it's a MEGA church (lots lots lots of members). It also has the same kind of concert-y worship feel in the beginning. Both are very hardcore about ministry and getting to work in the community and in the church. So they are very active Christians, and I like that.
So the music...not what I'm accustomed to, but not bad by any means. It just didn't have A LOT of harmony, and it was kind of lyric heavy. I like that repetitive, I-can-get-lost-in-this-refrain type of worship (circa Israel Houghton "To Worship You I Live"). Preaching did not take place, so I was a little PO'd, but not very, as I received some information on the mission and the vision of the church. I appreciate a church with vision: "w/o vision the people perish." This place was teeming with 20-somethings, and by teeming, I mean THOUSANDS. To pull out that many young people, something must be right. So I figure I'll go back and try to catch a sermon. I have to give my Bible a chance to at least get cracked open in that place.
Despite the above, today was actually a really good day for me spiritually. God has been dealing with me on a NUMBER of issues, but the main one is regarding "seeking." Someone used the term "seeker" while communicating with me during the week, and I take it to mean someone who does not know God, who does not have a relationship with God, but who WANTS a relationship. I thought I was being mistaken for a "seeker" and I freaked out. I was born and raised in the church, baptized, filled with the Holy Spirit, and trying to live for God! Seeker?! ME?!!...pssh! How dumb am I? I should BE a seeker. There is a great blessing in being a seeker. The Bible says that whoever seeks...FINDS! So I always want to seeking, so I can constantly find a deeper place in the Lord. To be a seeker is a freaking compliment of the first order. WHAT? WHAT? I have to hunger and thirst after righteousness...or I won't get fed. It's deep.
In any case, I have some other thoughts...maybe next Sunday.
Bible Thought of the Day:
Genesis 1:3 - What happened on the first day? Think about it, don’t read ahead. Make a choice.
Genesis 1:16-19 – What happened on the fourth day? What differentiates this from the first?
It makes me thinks of Hebrews 11:3 - Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
HEAVY!!!
P.S.
I have a date on Wednesday, more details to follow.
God Bless!
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