Church…Really [Justin]
If you realized that my previous post about church was written in celebration of April 1, you might be wondering what I really think.
The truth is that we’ve been going to The Ohana Project for several weeks, and plan to continue doing so. This is in spite of the fact that I don’t like worship services and am not nearly as charismatic as most OP-ers.
So why are we going? Not surprisingly, it’s about the people. We knew several OP regulars before we started attending, and found out that we knew even more people when we started going. They’ve been great to us, even though I have a reputation for being perpetually dissatisfied with church.
The nice thing is that we’ve had the opportunity to not really worry about whether everything at church is being done the way we’d do it. Unlike many churches that we could doubtless find in the city and in the suburbs, OP is not tailor-made to suit my whims and preferences. And I like that.
It’s good to, for a change, be with other believers who have a vision and a passion for what they’re doing, without my having to be involved in making the decisions. I don’t mean that I want to just show up and not get involved, but for now I’m enjoying being in a community where other people make the decisions.
Justin,
I’m glad to hear that you have a community that you feel like you can engage with. Blessings as you figure out what it means for you to be a part of Ohana.
John
Glad to hear you’re settling in. As you know to some extent, I’m really happy with OP as well. I love the cultural mix, I love the focus on service projects as worship, I love the break dancing. I also love hearing the gospel preached as story and from a different perspective from my own (not so much theologically, but culturally).
Plus, OP can COOK. Oh baby, we can cook.
Hi Pat,
I like the diversity (of both people and perspectives) too, though I don’t want to approach church with a “black people love us” attitude, as if going to a diverse church makes me the Best Kind of White Person. Know what I mean? I’ve been reading Stuff White People Like lately, and am thinking about this kind of thing more.
Your pilgrimage is striking a chord with me … one that I blogged about a long time ago: Why We Leave Church Starving.
I’m not sure that “being perpetually dissatisfied with church” is a bad thing.
I think it happens because those of us who are yearning for God’s own perfection and unending worship at His throne, just can’t get used to the lack of it here and now.
Blessings on your journey and your new church family.