I was talking to my friend Greg this week and about weekly church attendance. He made a good comparison between church and exercise-it's really good for you and you know your life if better when you are going and you are always glad afterwards that you did it but it can also be hard, boring, repititious and pretty much the last thing you want to do any given Sunday.
The last few months I have definitely been guilty of just "putting in my miles" as far as church goes. So I was pretty excited when today ended up being one of those wake up and run ten miles and enjoy every second of it kind of church meetings. While I completely believe that church not getting through to me is as much my fault as it is church's, today I came unprepared and my service really felt like it was built just for me. There were two great speakers who said exactly the things about faith and trust in God that I needed to hear. I sobbed my way through most of the meeting, which resulted in a kind member of the bishopric pulling me aside afterwards to see if I was alright. I have been living in a state of "are You even listening to me?" lately and this afternoon I felt like I got a resounding, "yes, and stop worrying!"
We had a lesson modesty in the second hour. I always cringe when we get those because they can get so Salem Witch Hunt-esque but the teacher ended up teaching doctrine instead of listing do's and don'ts so I was able to keep my itchy comment hand down. Then I spent Sunday School having a good chat with some friends I never get to see (yes, I realize that means I didn't go to class. Sue me.).
And that's why I go, that's what gets me through the iffy patches. The sure knowledge that I'll get another Sunday like this one. That things will feel as clear and full as promise as they do today. I have a little questioning and wandering heart and it's easy for me to slip over to worry and doubt, days like today make me certain that there is Someone to gently lead me back to where I belong.
10 comments:
that was a great post, katie. thank you. for me the most rewarding sundays have been when i felt like: nah, i am too tired, nah, this... but i still went. those were the sundays i have always cherished because i know there important lesson to learn. there always is but sometimes you are listening more than others..
I love good church, maybe it's the average that makes these so nice.
I had a good church day yesterday too, but more because finally after moving back 5 1/2 months ago, I feel like I'm connecting more with the ladies in Relief Society. It was a good social day, and sometimes that's what I need to fortify me to get through the rest of the week at my kind of solitary job. So I suppose I could look at it as Heavenly Father giving me exactly what I needed yesterday, even though it wasn't some great doctrinal insight. It was what *I* needed. It's amazing how He works like that.
that is a really good point Kelly. I used to rip on singles wards for being way to social, and in some ways they are, but i've been going to this fairly young, super socially propelled ward for a year now and have yet to really feel a part of it. It's not anyone's fault-it's just not really my scene now that I'm a little older. Spending Sunday School talking to these friends felt just as energizing as the talks. Church is as much about connecting with those who share your beliefs as it is about connnecting with God. I let myself get so hung up on silly cultural stuff that I don't like that sometimes I miss out on those connections.
And sometimes the lessons learned in the foyer (or the library, as was the case for me yesterday) are the ones we need the most. :-)
I am glad you were there, Katie. You vocalized points that I had been bending around in my head to say, but would not have been able to get out so clearly, so evenly, and so honestly. I would have sounded like a bitter, angry, b--- o- we're not supposed to talk like that if we want a boyfriend, though, are we?
wow katie, i feel like our "sunday situations" are quite the same. sometimes i don't know if i can listen to anything else, but it's sundays like these that assure me, as well, that there is meaning and a reason for everything. thank you very very much.
Hi, I'm Caleb's brother-in-law, Zach. Hope it's okay to chime in. I follow Johanna's blog over to here every now and then. We have a lot in common, both working in marketing, and more.
Anyway, your post on Church made me think of golf. Odd comparison, but after so many really bad shots you hit the one shot that reminds you why you love the game. Just like you did on Sunday.
I need a Sunday like that one of these weeks... :)
hey zachariah, always happy to have another reader! Especially one related to Caleb. I like the golf analogy. You can suck for a long time but when you get it right, even just for a bit, it makes you put up with the bad.
"...there is Someone to gently lead me back to where I belong." Hold this thought, Kate, and the ups and downs of church, work, relationships and all of the rest will take care of themselves. Thanks for saying this so eloquently.
Post a Comment