Unification Through Fellowship

Jim Donahue preached this morning, and I got to talk to him a bit after service. I like reuniting with people who knew me in childhood, especially in light of my last post. He said he likes to look at my Facebook pictures because "it's like you have no brain cells."

I see his point. Then he burst out, "And it's so weird because you used to be SO QUIET!". I'm glad he thinks I'm goofy now. He also said he thought I would make a great foreign missionary (his own suggestion, without knowing my own plans). Since I have this thing where men in authority seem like they are speaking Words from Heaven in situations like that, it was pretty cool.

Then tonight, Jonathan preached at Sommer Park. I really like having different pastors. Nothing against Joel-I love his sermons. But I really liked that Northbrook had four different pastors on a rotating schedule. It's good to hear different people talk about God and what He is teaching them I think. And anyway, I don't think the singular pastor is necessarily a biblical standard.

And Summer Sundays! I love them so much! It's like the family mission trip, but shorter, which is really nice for me this year since I can't go to South Dakota. It's just so nice to hang out with church people outside of church. Singing hymns without instruments, cooking hotdogs around a fire, and going on a hayrack ride-those are just things you don't normally experience inside a church building.

Because of this evening, I know more clearly who sings off-key, which I love. (People who sing loudly off-key are always better than. Anyone who sings quietly, good or bad. Shyness has no place in worshipping God, and those uninhibited tone deaf people remind me of that.). I also learned that Nathan is a brilliant hot dog cooker. Who knew you could just lean the stick against the log and LEAVE IT THERE!? He's revolutionized my cookout skills. And I learned that if I ever crash in the Andes with Mary Ellen, she will eat me.

Jonathan preached on unity within the body of Christ, which is a huge other topic that I might go into sometime, but here's how it applies now. I think it's a lot easier to love and promote peace and out other people first when you hang out with them often, in different places and different situations.

I feel more unified, anyway.