Go Tell It On the Mountain

My mom, bro and I went to the same Catholic church, every week, from the time I was in kindergarten until my freshman year of high school.

However, around the middle of 8th grade, some things happened that we didn't agree with/believe in so we began seeking a new church in our town.

We found a new church, different religion (Presbyterian), but enjoyed it. Oddly, I went to this new church, sometimes with my mom, and sometimes with family friends of ours. I was blessed to have two STELLAR Sunday school teachers for the next two years. My mom occasionally came to church with me, my bro, back and forth, and of course, come holiday time, we went to new church as a family.

Things at that church changed (or fell into a downward spiral really quickly (ie small church, older congregation, minimal youth) and the Methodist church down the road was starting a contemporary service.

We were all baptized/confirmed Catholic, but, after two years at what I now refer to as "my home church", our family became Methodist.

When I moved almost three months ago, I was elated that I would be able to attend an AMAZING church each week (sadly, my work schedule doesn't allow me to go every week but I attend when I am not working). I went to new church Sunday morning and was just in awe.

The praise team is PHENOMENAL. I'm talking, you're just filled with such joy and excitement on the inside and your smile will spread ear to ear and then some! But as I sat there by myself, alone, in a seat, now knowing anyone around me or even recognizing anyone, I started to think about my home church.

I realized that home church is just that...my church at home. It's sanctuary is filled with people that I have known for what seems like my entire life (beauty of small town living), parents of people that I went to school with, former teachers, best friends, kids that I've babysat and so on. It's every bit of a home church.

And I started to feel guilty.

I LOVE new church. The energy from the Praise Team is so amazing that it's almost like being at a Billboard Top 10 concert. The support and response from the congregation is spot on and the sermon, oh my the sermon...it's deep, it's fun, it's true, it's applicable. If I could bottle up the 60 minutes I spent in new church Sunday and send it to the world, by golly I would.

And I felt guilty. And I almost feel guilty about this entire post.

Why? Because I. Love. New. Church. A lot. To the point where I wish I could take the people from home church and bring them to new church so that they can experience what I do. The super cool thing is that new church is already broadcast live via satellite to two other campuses. Awesome!

But then I got to thinking. As I sat there. Is it wrong that I have come to love and enjoy new church much more than I do home church? Is it wrong that my main draw to home church is the home aspect of it? After all, I love new church for the worship, which accounts for 95% of church-going so I love it for all the "right" reasons. But I still feel guilty.

If only I could find a way to broadcast new church to home church each Sunday....I wouldn't feel so guilty!