Love this so much! Cheers to uncool churches where the gospel is on full display! We don’t need more churches that try to be shiny and flawless.
We need shepherds who make much of Jesus. We need pastors, men and women, who are willing to be uncool while they cultivate Christ-centered community. We need the gospel on full display in the way we do what we do (from the behind the scenes all the way forward). God, more of this, please!
This made me cry. Good tears, I promise. I LOVE that this young woman called to preach has a supportive community of believers who are older than her who support her in the fullness of her callings and roles--even allows them to overlap (because they surely do).
The best congregation I was ever part of in my childhood was a little acapella-singing Church of Christ in a small beach town in SoCal. The song leader had a toddler whom he regularly held while up front leading the congregation in songs. It wasn't distracting. It was just right. It's not as if we set aside who we are when we serve the church.
Praying you absorb a lot of good things along the way to finding your new faith community.
I used to hold (and nurse) babies while leading the Spanish choir at my church. (I still lead the choir, but the babies grew up.) Once, I was singing when my youngest son suddenly bit me on the shoulder, hard.
"Al-le-lu-yEEEEEEEK!" right into the microphone. He became known afterward as "los dientes malditos," the cursed teeth.
I ended up in a similar place - coming out of the PCA I spent about 9 months at a non-denominational that was a good "recovery" spot but not where I needed to be long-term. My therapist recommended a couple of Methodist churches, which was a new experience for me. The first one was also not a great fit, but the second one has been amazing and I've been there for three months now. The congregation is very multi-racial, and both the pastors are non-white women.
It's different in challenging and good ways. Also I really love Gospel music so that's a great fit (side note, I've always wondered why Calvinist-leaning music always sounds so sad - given what we believe, yes there are times for somber reflection, but if we believe that we've been given the greatest gift in the history of the universe and we did absolutely nothing to deserve it, shouldn't we at least occasionally *pretend* that we're happy about it?)
I am being challenged in good ways as well, and beginning to embrace this liminal space God has us in. I feel like it has me much more sensitive to his presence.
What a great story. I'm kind of looking forward to future updates about your Methodist church experience. This post reminded me of how I felt when when I first read Anne Lamont's Traveling Mercies back in 2001.
** I think about the men who have everything taken care for them as they do “the most important service” of delivering the word of God to his people. **
I've never understood this. In their own belief system, isn't the Bible supreme? Why, in a highly literate society with Bibles easily - even freely - available in a variety of languages, is there a crying need for a man to tell people what he thinks the Word of God is?
Oof. Yeah, that one got me, too. The first time we went to the church we eventually stayed at longer than a week after we left our hyper-Calvinist ball of weird church, they installed a woman as deacon. It was amazing. And almost immediately after that we got to hear our first sermon by a female pastor, which just made every nerve in my body melt into relaxation. It's a different universe of church-ness.
Back when he would summer in the small town of Roaring Branch, PA, Geerhardus Vos and his family attended a small Methodist church a short distance from their home.
I am so happy for you, Aimee. The first time I heard a women preach at my Episcopal church, I was a mess of tears. She was feminine, articulate, intelligent, knowledgeable, Biblical, and her love for Christ and his word shone through. I felt affirmed as a person who also belongs to Christ and can know Him through His Word. Somehow the Bible had always seemed to me to ultimately be the the “province of men,” as Eomer says about war to Eowyn in Lord of the Rings.
Thanks for sharing this, Aimee. Nate and I have been church-homeless for a while now and it's so hard to keep trying to find a place where we *just meet Jesus.* This gives me a little bit of hope that we can still find it somewhere.
You write about a woman pastor, possibly knowing a certain percentage of your readers will disapprove. A non-intuitive aspect of the Christian life is how when we're forced to do the [seemingly] most unhealthy thing possible, God often makes it work.
I am honored that you sent it to her, Virginia. Thank you for sharing your experience. Your mom remained faithful through such devaluation of her personhood and calling.
Love this so much! Cheers to uncool churches where the gospel is on full display! We don’t need more churches that try to be shiny and flawless.
We need shepherds who make much of Jesus. We need pastors, men and women, who are willing to be uncool while they cultivate Christ-centered community. We need the gospel on full display in the way we do what we do (from the behind the scenes all the way forward). God, more of this, please!
With over a decade of reading your books and blog posts, this is my new favorite (OK, it’s tied with Why Can’t We Be Friends, but who’s quibbling?)
And this sentence is the best of them all: “I’m still figuring out how to be normal people.” Hit me right in the gut why don’t you!
Cheers,
Tim
Thanks for all your encouragement over the years, Tim.
Me, too! And Tim, so nice to see you here!
This made me cry. Good tears, I promise. I LOVE that this young woman called to preach has a supportive community of believers who are older than her who support her in the fullness of her callings and roles--even allows them to overlap (because they surely do).
The best congregation I was ever part of in my childhood was a little acapella-singing Church of Christ in a small beach town in SoCal. The song leader had a toddler whom he regularly held while up front leading the congregation in songs. It wasn't distracting. It was just right. It's not as if we set aside who we are when we serve the church.
Praying you absorb a lot of good things along the way to finding your new faith community.
I used to hold (and nurse) babies while leading the Spanish choir at my church. (I still lead the choir, but the babies grew up.) Once, I was singing when my youngest son suddenly bit me on the shoulder, hard.
"Al-le-lu-yEEEEEEEK!" right into the microphone. He became known afterward as "los dientes malditos," the cursed teeth.
Abigail, would you be willing to share the church name and location? Thanks. 😊
I ended up in a similar place - coming out of the PCA I spent about 9 months at a non-denominational that was a good "recovery" spot but not where I needed to be long-term. My therapist recommended a couple of Methodist churches, which was a new experience for me. The first one was also not a great fit, but the second one has been amazing and I've been there for three months now. The congregation is very multi-racial, and both the pastors are non-white women.
It's different in challenging and good ways. Also I really love Gospel music so that's a great fit (side note, I've always wondered why Calvinist-leaning music always sounds so sad - given what we believe, yes there are times for somber reflection, but if we believe that we've been given the greatest gift in the history of the universe and we did absolutely nothing to deserve it, shouldn't we at least occasionally *pretend* that we're happy about it?)
I am being challenged in good ways as well, and beginning to embrace this liminal space God has us in. I feel like it has me much more sensitive to his presence.
What a great story. I'm kind of looking forward to future updates about your Methodist church experience. This post reminded me of how I felt when when I first read Anne Lamont's Traveling Mercies back in 2001.
Thank you, there are ups and downs for sure. I want to express both, as I know so many others are experiencing complex emotions in looking for church.
** I think about the men who have everything taken care for them as they do “the most important service” of delivering the word of God to his people. **
I've never understood this. In their own belief system, isn't the Bible supreme? Why, in a highly literate society with Bibles easily - even freely - available in a variety of languages, is there a crying need for a man to tell people what he thinks the Word of God is?
Oof. Yeah, that one got me, too. The first time we went to the church we eventually stayed at longer than a week after we left our hyper-Calvinist ball of weird church, they installed a woman as deacon. It was amazing. And almost immediately after that we got to hear our first sermon by a female pastor, which just made every nerve in my body melt into relaxation. It's a different universe of church-ness.
Back when he would summer in the small town of Roaring Branch, PA, Geerhardus Vos and his family attended a small Methodist church a short distance from their home.
Beautiful witness to church being church! Thank you for sharing! Thanking God for you and for Pastor Katie’s leadership.
Great writeup. One of my fav pastoral voices this past year has been Karen Campbell who has a substack called illuminate.
I am so happy for you, Aimee. The first time I heard a women preach at my Episcopal church, I was a mess of tears. She was feminine, articulate, intelligent, knowledgeable, Biblical, and her love for Christ and his word shone through. I felt affirmed as a person who also belongs to Christ and can know Him through His Word. Somehow the Bible had always seemed to me to ultimately be the the “province of men,” as Eomer says about war to Eowyn in Lord of the Rings.
Thanks for sharing this, Aimee. Nate and I have been church-homeless for a while now and it's so hard to keep trying to find a place where we *just meet Jesus.* This gives me a little bit of hope that we can still find it somewhere.
You write about a woman pastor, possibly knowing a certain percentage of your readers will disapprove. A non-intuitive aspect of the Christian life is how when we're forced to do the [seemingly] most unhealthy thing possible, God often makes it work.
Glad to be back on straight and narrow more work on my newsletter 5 months strong 6 months later
I am honored that you sent it to her, Virginia. Thank you for sharing your experience. Your mom remained faithful through such devaluation of her personhood and calling.