What is the point of going to church??

Well, I've been in Florida for a month, I guess I should be getting adjusted by now, right? It sure is sunny here, and when I hear of the cooler temps "up North" I remember to quit pouting for a minute and appreciate the warm weather.

Moving away from friends and family is not an easy thing. In fact it's harder than I thought it would be. I can see already though, that good is going to come from it. As always God is at work in all of our lives, and I do believe that my relationship with my husband is and will be strenghthened. He is one of my only friends here, and as he starts a new job tomorrow, I am already mourning the loss. Life is hard sometimes isn't it?

So Sunday seems to be the worst for me. We're "church shopping" which is what we said we were doing for years during our marriage as an excuse not to get involved enough in church to have people start expecting us to be there on a regular basis. This time we are church shopping for real, desperately trying to find a place where we feel comfortable and fit in.

We miss you Community Church. God is doing something special through all of you, and I feel blessed to have been a small part of it.

So today we just stayed in our pajamas and watched church at the Crystal Cathedral. We have tried a Methodist church, a non demoninational Bible church, a Baptist church, and last week we drove 1 1/2 hours to attend Bradenton CRC. While each church had it's good points, we are having a hard time trying to avoid comparing them with our beloved CCRC.

For the last few weeks I was thinking, what is my problem, what am I looking for in a church??? And today it became a little clearer while sitting in my pjs drinking coffee watching TV.

The speaker at Crystal Cathedral this morning was Tony Compollo. Excellent speaker. Tells it like it is, love that in a human being. I had heard him speak when I went to a young Calvinist convention when I was in high school, so I was thrilled when Schuler announced that he would be the speaker of the day!

Anyway, today in the living room, through a charismatic preacher, a top notch orchestra and a well trained choir singing hymns, my heart was lifted, and I could just "feeeeeel" something that I was missing.

Then all our pages and pages of homework from last year flashed before my eyes, and I knew in an instant what I had been missing. The presence of GOD. That is all I want in a church. That's it. I can just sense it when a speaker has such a close relationship with God, and the Spirit just moves thru the message and it just envelopes my heart and I know that it is God. I felt it again today.

What is the point of going to church,I've been asked that many times by unbeliever friends, and the answer is so clear, to be in the presence of God, to worship Him for all that He has given us in His Son. To be filled with joy in the knowledge that no matter how badly we will continue to mess it up, He will forgive us.

Church in the living room was great today, but I missed the fellowship of believers. Who knew a former "church shopper" could become so dependant on "church"? No, I have become dependant on God, and long to be in His presence, fellow believers at my side, Praising Him for that and praying that He will lead us to the place of His choosing so that we may worship in His presence.

Enjoy Esther! Please post up once you get rolling and share what you're learning! Would love to hear what God is doing!