A Day at Church

June 4, 2007

Many of you know we are venturing out of the established church structure we have known and trying to forge our way into a more organic and home grown fellowship. Specifically we are desiring to start/be a part of a house church. Not house church for the sake of house church. But house church because we want to live out/walk out our faith in Jesus in close relationship with other believers, building strong bonds of community.

In our lives we see this happening within a smaller group setting with much, much less structure than traditional church. So, we have been reading, researching, praying. Trying to find other groups of people who might live this way. Damien found a group that meets in Saco & area and he wanted to check it out. He made the arrangements but I was wary. I wanted to stay home, sleep in, take the kids on a hike, hang out. We went anyways and after driving all over (what felt like) southern maine (we took the long way unintentionally) we arrived for "church" close to 10 am.

Well, we didn't leave till 9pm. Wow, that was one long church service!! Of course, it wasn't a service at all. But a time of sharing, praying, singing (some pretty cool folky/bluesy/gospel songs I must say) & of course eating. Kids here, there and everywhere. Joining in at times and playing elsewhere at times. And that was just the main meeting time. After everyone else left sometime midafternoon we continued to hang out with the host family. Damien slept on the couch. I worked in their garden.

We talked, talked and talked some more and were simply amazed at how much idealism, dreams and desires we shared in common. We rarely meet folks as idealistic, dare I say naively optimistic, as us.

Supper time arrived, we raided the fridge and pulled together leftovers to feed us 4 adults and 6 kids. Later the cards came out and we learned a new game. Finally, we decided we did have to return to our home although it was tempting to sleep over.... A long day at church that felt nothing like "church" but more like sharing life with folks - eating together, encouraging one another etc.... I'm naively optimistic that God has some of that for us right here on our street, in our neighborhood & community.