| | Our current church will forever go down in the annals of our family
history books as "that little Bible church." It all began when the Lord
moved us to the St. Louis metro area midsummer 2003. We had been
married about 5 months when our first all out efforts began to find our
new church home. We'd had some experience finding a new church together
before, but this time was quite a bit different.
Our adventure began in churches with familiar names. We stuck
close to what we were used to and ventured off one Sunday to a little
Bible church not too far from our home. We'll never forget that weekend
because his parents were visiting us and decided not to attend church
with us that Sunday morning.
We pulled in to the parking lot of what looked from the
outside to be an office building, were it not for the sign applied to
the brick that denoted otherwise. I think the first thought I had was,
"Is this a temporary building for this church? Are they in the process
of a new building project?"
We sat down and looked around. It seemed as if the church was
here to stay. Then the music began, and we were drawn to worship. My
husband's hearing is sensitive, and the music was on the loud side. The
trumpets trill notes gave him a headache. A sour note to start the
sermon on.
I don't particularly remember the sermon, but I do remember not meeting
anyone afterwards, nor introducing ourselves when asked if any visitors
were present. Our typical routine in a church that at first glance
didn't appear to be a good fit was to not introduce ourselves in hopes
that we could slip out quietly afterwards and move on to the next trial
church. And so we did this Sunday.
We did that week after week after
week. For a LOT of weeks. Like..half a year, each Sunday in a different
place. Until the end of the year when my husband said, "Why don't we go
try that little Bible church again?"
Did we go back when he said that? Oh no, we sure didn't. For
four Sundays in a row we went to a different church, again. Silly me
got in the way week after week. The first week we had a
misunderstanding and when my husband asked if I knew where we were
going and when we needed to be there I told him yes, and we proceeded
to a different Bible church that we hadn't tried yet. Oops. The second
week I convinced him to try another church that was meeting in the
YMCA. The next week we actually *did* pull into the driveway of that
little Bible church, however, I hadn't recalled the time of the service
properly and out we drove, *again*. That Sunday we saw another sign for
a new church meeting in a local high school. We didn't realize that it
was *in* the high school that week and had driven up and down the road
looking for the church. The next week I convinced him *again* to try
that church we couldn't find the week before "just in case."
Ah, misery of misery, another non-fit. Since there was no
question the following week of what time the service began at that
little Bible church we had no excuse. I had given up. I wasn't going to
request we visit any more different churches. I think we had just about
visited all of the ones in the area by then anyhow! So, off we went.
This time, we walked through the doors, introduced ourselves
and the music wasn't blaring loudly like before. In fact there were no
trumpets. (Side note - there haven't been to this day!) We vividly
remember the sermon. It was on condemnation. A long time later our
Pastor said if anyone came for the first time on that Sunday morning
that he had preached the message on condemnation and had stayed then
that was something because it was a hard sermon. Condemnation is not a
fun subject, but we were floored by the Biblical theology we heard
being preached. We were also so relieved, our parched spirits quenched
as we learned we had walked in to the church during the teaching
through of their doctrinal statement. This was the fifth Sunday in the
series - go figure.
The Holy Spirit had led my husband that first week to take us
just where we needed to be. Just what we needed to hear was being
preached, and we missed it. He Sovereignly showed me that day that I
should have trusted my husband's judgment, given up my desire to try
"just one more" church and to submit to his leadership. You see, he
doesn't say too much, too often, but when he does, I'm learning that
I'd best listen.
We've been blessed beyond measure to have fellowshipped with
our little Bible church. That Sunday we met a couple who would become a
mentor to us as we watched them interact as a couple and as a family.
We were surprised to find later that the man was an elder in the church
and never once mentioned it. It was here that I experienced a first for
me - multiple messages by multiple teachers on *one* Sunday morning in
those early weeks as they preached through the doctrinal statement. It
has been quite a while since we've seen two men in the pulpit on any
given Sunday, but it was neat to see the openness to something a bit
out of the ordinary.
We also have had the amazing opportunity to be taught the Doctrines of
Grace loud and clear. We had previously come to an understanding of
God's work in man's heart prior to man's response of faith, we just
never knew a church was out there that taught it. It was God's
Sovereign hand in our lives that led us to this church to teach us and
root us in His Word. We will always remember this church for the
passionate teaching of God's grace.
The church is not without its flaws, but within the office
building-like walls are a bunch of people who love the Lord and
genuinely strive to love one another. We have been fed and the Lord has
grown us in ways that we couldn't have imagined.
Years later I would find a picture of that first weekend. We had gone
to visit Grant's Farm with mom and dad and had taken a picture of a
Clydesdale. Low and behold, the stranger in the picture was the wife
and son of one of our elders! It was quite the shock to open the pages
of the album and see them standing there next to the horse. I scanned
those pictures and emailed them to a similarly surprised pastor and
family. :)
The stories could go on, and probably should, but I'd better get back
to the work the Lord has given me, mommyhood. Another direct impact of
this church - the testimony of family visible week after week was a
tool used by the hand of God on my heart to change me from being
totally against children in our marriage to being totally for.
Thank you, Lord, for that little Bible church! Amen
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| | Posted 1/23/2007 5:15 PM - 40 Views - 2 eProps - 1 Comment
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