I see your two bits, and raise you four gigabytes

4GB on the left. 2 bits on the right. $15 at Le Monde du Wally (tax included).

My church

I have long felt out of place in traditional church, even in the early evening "contemporary" service we attend. I won't go over it all again - this blog's earliest posts are all about that, and I am long-tired of talking about it. Let's just say I've never gotten the "fellowship" part of church, let alone the "worship." Both feel phony, artificial, fake. Not the fault of the people running the show or the other attendees, I am sure - I claim full ownership of this being my problem. But it's still a problem.

Recently, it hit me what I was looking for in church, because I realized I have it somewhere else, and that in large part has become my "church." At the place I am talking about, I:

• pray and talk to God while I am there.
• am not there for me, but to serve God and others.
• know that God is at work there.
• look forward to going and feel bad when I miss it.
• am happy and thankful while I am there.
• feel camaraderie and fellowship with the others there.
• am never bored, even though it lasts twice as long as church.
• freely give of my time and money.

Where am I talking about? The Samaritan Center. I love to volunteer there, and get more out of going and simply serving than I ever do at church. I know it's not going to be considered "valid church" by most, because there's no show, no sermon, and we're working, not sitting on our butts (somehow being a passive audience is more "spiritual," I guess). It's where I feel the closest to God, the most worshipful, and the most "in fellowship" with others. And the latter doesn't mean I like or get along with everyone there - I have pulled back from some there because of some statements they made that I considered hateful. But I've forgiven them and know we're all there for the right reasons. In the end, we're all there to serve God in our own way. And that works for me.

Here's a picture of my church: