Another Visit on Sunday, August 26

I decided to visit a second church on Sunday. This was an afternoon worship service. A much more casual service than the one I attended in the morning.

This church encourages coffee in the sanctuary -- I opted for a sparkling water, but took my beverage with me as I entered the worship hall. I was met by a crowd of people who were younger than me. (Admittedly an odd thing for a church!) The whole congregation was younger than me -- maybe an average age of 24, perhaps a little older if you count the pastor.

The pastor in in his older 3os. Maybe a little older, but he looks young and hip. He speaks with a soft, uncertain tone. Its refreshing. Too many preachers are too certain. I don't remember anything he said, but I remember feeling a sense of grace and acceptance. Maybe that is sermon enough.

I appreciated that they made a point of saying, "the time of offering is for our regulars only - we do not ask visitors to contribute." More churches should make a point of saying that every week. In fact, because they said that, I felt more willing to give.

Attending here was like a fresh breeze -- they not be doing everything by the book, but its encouraging to see a congregation experimenting with the "what ifs" instead of managing the "shoulds."