finally

I feel so good now that we have finally found a church. I say finally in 2 different tones. The first is the finally meaning, yea – we know, we don’t go to church regularly, and haven’t for oh, about 2 years, we are lazy and enjoy sleeping. Who really wants to get all involved with a congregation all over again – from scratch – and really, what is church for? My relationship with God is just great here from between my flannel sheets, electric blanket, and down comforter, not to mention how fun it is to channel surf between the old 80’s flicks full of hysterical sex scenes, and evangelical preachers sending me to hell. And the other finally, meaning once we [finally] started searching for the perfect place for our budding new family, we practically had to look under rocks to find a place that at least tried to share the LOVE OF GOD with EVERYONE. We almost started thinking we had a different bible from these people. But then, some friends told us about this church that would be perfect for us. By this point, our bean was 1 ½ months old which, in our Lutheran tradition, was getting a bit past her ‘infant baptism’ prime (not to mention growing out of the family baptismal gown!) and we were getting hungry for that Lutheran fellowship again. Way past hungry. So, we went – slightly skeptical of the white middle upper class suburban neighborhood it was set in (I know, I know, if you could take back thoughts…) and fell in love. The first week, the pastor’s sermon drew us further up and further in. The second week we were completely surrounded by people with babies under 12 months old. And the third week we were invited to an infant/toddler Sunday school class. And now, Sunday morning – we can’t get out of our flannel sheets, electric blanket, and down comforter fast enough, stick the 80’s flicks on our Netflix list, and retire the wacko Pentecostal preachers for solid Lutheran theology. And the best part about all this? A young mom and dad found a place to worship wholly again, and their baby girl (and, sheepishly her folks, too) have a place full of peers to challenge and be challenged by in the years they can grow in faith together – because that is what church is for. Finally.