Recently I did a road test for a kid
whose father was a pastor at a local Christian Reformed church, a
denomination that is very strong in our West Michigan area. A parent
rides along if the applicant is under 18 so we had a nice little chat
whereby I discover his profession. Finally he asks me where I go to
church (you have to have lived here for awhile to understand my humor
in hearing that) so I laugh and tell him the following story.
After 20 years a man who was
shipwrecked and had lived by himself on a tiny island was picked up
by a cruise ship. As the rescue vessel was leaving the island the
first mate notices three buildings and wants to know what purpose
they serve. “Well, the first hut is where I live and the second is
where I go to church.” “What about the third building?” asks
the mate. “That's where I use to go to church.”
I'll admit that I'm no stranger to
church hopping. After we left the Catholic Church we started going
to a swell little congregation of Assembly of God believers that met
in a school gym. Things were going really good until about a year in
I invited the pastor and his wife over to our house to watch a DVD
movie. I told them I would rent GHANDI which the pastor was excited
to see but when I was at Blockbuster I noticed a flick about that
little rubbery figure Gumby so I rented that as well. The pastor and
his wife settle in, I turn on the TV and video player and on starts
the adventures of Gumby. “What's this?” I'm asked, a seriously
shocked look on the pastor's face. “Gumby” I reply. I thought I
told you.”
Well, he almost smiled and I quickly
pop in the proper movie but I think after that he was watching me a
lot closer. We worshiped at his church about a year longer before
parting ways.
After that we had home church for 7
years (which I believe was a tremendous thing for our family), tried
some other congregations on and off and finally settled in at Holland
Community Church, a little non denominational, non charismatic group
whose pastor use to work for the technology division of a Big 7
accounting firm that our company had used. I had met him in that
capacity before he went into ministry. This was a guy who I didn't
even have to ask if he was pro Gumby. He thought he was a great
Euchre player and we had some really fun tournaments at the church.
He was not a humble winner. I mean really. I always finished top 3
as well but you don't do a victory dance in front of a 83 year old
woman who we had to keep explaining what a bauer was.
He eventually left the church to attend
Regent University to get a law degree. The church disbanded after
that. Several weeks later we ran into some people we knew from
Holland Community and asked them where they were going. They
told us about such and such a place. We sat next to them that
Sunday and before the service starts the guy leans over and says;
“These are really nice people put they don't believe in
instrumental music so the worship is a little subdued.” A
little???? My snoring has more enthusiasm.
We went to a Charismatic mega church in
Grand Rapids for seven years and then started going to a Vineyard
church in Holland after one of my son-in-laws became an associate
pastor there. When we moved to Kalamazoo we soon found a great
Charismatic non-denominational church but after you get into your 60's
the loud music becomes physically painful. Jackie and I tried using
ear plugs but after a year we switched to a church across the street
where the volume is much better. The preaching has been great, the
worship is usually anointed and the pastor seems like the kind of
young man that would do victory laps around an 83 year old woman.
Problem – it's an Assembly of God church so I guess it would be
best to have no home movie nights with the pastor and his wife.
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