In the last few months, by circumstance rather than design I've been a little "spiritually homeless." I left my church in Bromley prior to moving to Southampton, and then once I came back to London and knew it would only be for a couple of months, I didnt feel that comfortable going back to a church I'd left, but there didnt seem to be time to join another one.
That all combined with having been away for a fair few of the weekends, I have ended up being a bit of a "mystery worshipper" (see www.shipoffools.com). I have, in the last few months visited 5 Salvation Army's, 2 "mega churches," one local baptist church and one new(ish) plant. Not all in London. And, without mentioning names of churches, I have discovered the following
1) I like knowing the songs used in worship. I suspect this is the trad SA side of me fighting it's way out, but I do like a little bit of familiarity. I visited one church where I knew none of the songs, and I found it hard to engage with the worship because I felt self conscious and worried about singing the wrong bit in the wrong place.
2) I am very conscious of who Im with when I go to church, and this affects my experience. I know it shouldn't, but it does. I visited these churches with different people, friends, family, christians, people who arent so sure what they think/believe, people who've been away from their church for a good few months and needed someone to go with them and hold their hand (and on occasion pass tissues, you know who you are ;-)) and I definitely respond differently to worship according to who I'm with.
3)I flinch when churches give a little talk before the offering and brace myself against prosperity teaching
4)When aforementioned prosperity teaching is present, I have quite the inclination to walk out...although I never have...yet
5)Compared to some places I've been, my parents do flippin awesome sermons. Something which I have per
haps taken for granted. One of my Salvation Army visits which falls just out of the mystery worshipper time bracket heard my Mum preach the best I've EVER heard her and I was so proud to discover that alot of the congregation agreed with me on that.
That all combined with having been away for a fair few of the weekends, I have ended up being a bit of a "mystery worshipper" (see www.shipoffools.com). I have, in the last few months visited 5 Salvation Army's, 2 "mega churches," one local baptist church and one new(ish) plant. Not all in London. And, without mentioning names of churches, I have discovered the following
1) I like knowing the songs used in worship. I suspect this is the trad SA side of me fighting it's way out, but I do like a little bit of familiarity. I visited one church where I knew none of the songs, and I found it hard to engage with the worship because I felt self conscious and worried about singing the wrong bit in the wrong place.
2) I am very conscious of who Im with when I go to church, and this affects my experience. I know it shouldn't, but it does. I visited these churches with different people, friends, family, christians, people who arent so sure what they think/believe, people who've been away from their church for a good few months and needed someone to go with them and hold their hand (and on occasion pass tissues, you know who you are ;-)) and I definitely respond differently to worship according to who I'm with.
3)I flinch when churches give a little talk before the offering and brace myself against prosperity teaching
4)When aforementioned prosperity teaching is present, I have quite the inclination to walk out...although I never have...yet
5)Compared to some places I've been, my parents do flippin awesome sermons. Something which I have per
haps taken for granted. One of my Salvation Army visits which falls just out of the mystery worshipper time bracket heard my Mum preach the best I've EVER heard her and I was so proud to discover that alot of the congregation agreed with me on that. 6)I maybe have a pride issue.
7)I like to "boogy" in church and this makes some people (TIM) look at me funny. It also doesnt go down at all well in some SA meetings...
8)I guess one of my most important discoveries is that God reaches different people in different ways. I know that seems obvious, but it was special for me to experience God in a mega church context and then in a small school hall with just a few people. Its one thing to know that stuff and another to experience it.
9)and finally and probably most importantly, I discovered that I dont do well with different churches every week. In fact, I need church family, and I miss it. The most special experience I had in all of this was going back to the church I grew up in. Being surrounded by people who know me, really know me, and who love me was so important and enabled me to come to God in a really honest and secure place. It was a really special day and so moving. The church I was at is one that I've certainly had my issues with over the years, but the people there are my spiritual family, without doubt, and they have seen and loved the Webbs through some tough times and some flippin awesome times. So I now know that I need to find that sense of "family" somewhere. Obviously the next few months will see more upheaval and change and possibly finding a regular church is a good few months away, but Im really aware now that I need it. This is a good thing.I am learning :-)
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