August 18 at 4-6pm is our next Messy Church at ACC!!
Come one, come all! YOU ARE ALL INVITED!!!
In case you didn't
know that, you are.
every.one. of. you.
This is not to get you to join our church on Sunday,
this is not to get people in our doors for numbers. We want you to come
and experience the joys and love of Jesus in a VERY non-traditional way.
Not that there's anything wrong with traditional ways.
With all the Christian Rock songs/bands out there, I
get chills when we sing the old hymns. I feel close to God and other
Christians when we all observe the same things. What I don’t like is when I feel out of place
at a church. When I’m uncomfortable
being there for any number of reasons…too many people…they are all grouped
together looking at me like I have a second head…they swarm on me like bee’s to
honey.
I don’t like feeling like I am being drawn into something cultish –
“Please, come in. We are so glad you are here with us. We love you. We want you
to be just.like.us.”….ermmm…..nothanks.
I don’t like feeling like I’m invisible that my being there is
nothing to be addressed because it’s
obvious I won’t be back because I am different then they are.
I’m usually hurried on Sunday mornings, coffee spilt on me
somewhere (so although I smell like a mocha vanilla cookie, I’m stained) and yelling
at reminding the kids to hurry up. I’m doing good to have my son in matched
clothes – he’s picky about the “feel” of his clothes so I usually don’t care as
long as it’s clean, but I do like him to match on Sunday. I attend without my husband so that also sets
me apart.
I’m comfortable at Messy Church because NONE of these things
matter. Not that they do on Sunday
either, but I feel they do.
You’d better come in looking like you can get messy, no fancy
frocks allowed – YOU WILL BE STAINED if you’re doing it right. You go through each section at your own pace,
or let the kids guide you through what they’d like to do! We want you to be comfortable. The only things we have memorized (and I’d
better freshen up on these) are a Messy Church clap/chant to get your attention
and the blessing before the meal.
When you’re comfortable you are not on your guard for those
StepfordChristians to surround you and put a chip in the back of your
head. They won’t be there, I don’t think
they like messes. When you’re
comfortable you are able to see the love of Jesus shining through everyone
around you….or at least I do, but then I can hear God speaking in rock songs if
I’m paying attention (no, the men in white coats aren’t coming for me…), not in
a burning bush kinda way but the words He wants me to hear at that moment.
“Wherever two or more are gathered in my name, I am there also.” Matthew 18:20. His life was not all neat and tidy…talk about
MESSY… He wants to be around us when we
are coffee stained and um…urging…our children to walk faster because mommy
wanted 10 more minutes of sleep, when our clothes don’t match, and when those
we love don’t believe what we do. ß I think He
loves them too…but that’s just me…
I’ll tell ya…finding a place that takes all that mess that is me,
giving me a place to feel loved and welcome (without brain chips) and has !!!!GLITTER!!!!-
yeah- God is there with us doing His thing in His time how He wants.
