You don't love God if you don't love your neighbor

We visited our old church today

We were married here

I started my path toward my calling here

I learned what it means to move "from glory to glory" here

because my glory left me behind...and waited for me ahead.

It was a bit weird driving back...we haven't been in that neighborhood in such a very long time and a lot has changed (construction, etc). We weren't sure what it would be like walking back in ...it's been 2 years since we left, I've never met the new pastor (we left during the interim upheaval) and we've had contact with just a handful of friends since then.

Walking in was a pleasant surprise

Pastor M was thrilled to put a face to the Babs name

and turns out hub is Louis-of-the-Roof

hugs and hellos from many who walked in and saw us there

tears from some

can't take my eyes off you stares from others

it was nice to see how much of what i started while there has taken root (funny too because the message today was about planting seeds)

felt good to see that i guess i knew what i was doing because the things that they do now that work, were my seeds

gives me hope that we've been moved to our new congregation with purpose

We also realized we really love our new church

yes, it was great to see some old friends

if they were friends ...then wouldn't they still be...but I digress

#1son apologized for liking the old place better than the new...the old place definitely has a youth thing going on...but later #1 said the youth thing was good because of what I did to it

so I could do it again where we are now

that felt really good

I haven't put myself forward as a youth leader in our new place coz, well more than 1/2 of the youth live in my house...and i didn't think they'd want me as a youth leader...they have to deal with me enough...but, there was a resounding request from the back seat today as we drove

gave my heart a squish :)

But...

even though both congregations belong to the same denomination

our new one is more in line with our spiritual walk

more organic

more open

more affirming

more inclusive

more about what is outside of our 4 walls instead of who is inside

our mission field IS our ministry

we're SMACK in the middle of a not so great part of town

down the road from a shelter

across the street from day labor

one of our main ministries is feeding and assisting the homeless and on any given Sunday while walking into or out you will find someone posting up with his shopping cart or her sleeping bag...and that's okay.

Christianity is our path.

and we celebrate some sacraments in the way Jesus did

but we honor the Divine in all forms, with all names and recognize that all who seek will find.

I don't want to go back

I can very easily step back into my role there tomorrow if I wanted to

heck, I could've grabbed a microphone today, someone asked me why I didn't

but it's not where we're supposed to be

my Glory is in another place

and I love it