A Day of Rest

Finally after all these weeks we made it to church on time! Not only that we attended one of their adult Sunday school classes. This particular class ws studying the book of Luke chapter 11 - the Woes. There were about 25 in the class. We sat in a semi-circle around the walls of the room facing the two leaders who sat at a table facing us. People brought their Bibles and workbooks for the session. It was obvious that some had done their reading and writing in the lesson books before they arrived. That added to the verse by verse discussion. I found what the class members had to say often more insightful than what the leaders had to say. The people were friendly, some introduced themselves, and it was good to see how they do what they do.

Since we were early for Sunday School, we were also early for worship for a change. We sat with a woman we'd met the first week when Earl and Marilyn came in and sat behind us. We'd moved closer to the front (about 9 rows back) and they'd happened to realize we were in front of them, as they were sitting down. It was a good service. The adult choir sang with energy and sounded quite good. There was a duet of The Holy City that was nice, and the preacher spoke on "Why the Cheering Stopped" after Jesus entered the city. He said it stopped because Jesus' focus and message became more focused on committment,the disenfranchised and the cross. And that none of these is very popular. In fact, this made many not only uncomfortable but it made him a threat to their status quo lives.

The fellowship hour after church is a nice time to connect with the people we've connected with before. Lunch with the Campbells after church at First Watch was nice. I'm looking forward to going golfing with Earl once the weather breaks.

I received an interesting newsletter today from George Barna's Group. http://www.barna.org/(He does religious surveys of America to get the pulse of religion and Christianity.)

He asks two questions that are particularly relevent to me at this stage in my life. The topic is "relationships." In the survey he asks:
     What is the single most important relationship in your life today?
And what social group or network of people is most significant to you? 
How would you have answered these questions? 
How would your friends have answered? 

Most Significant Groups

Although adults listed numerous groups or networks that they deem to be most important, those groups generally fit into five categories. Three out of every ten adults (29%) said their church was the most significant group affiliation. The people they affiliate with at their place of work represented the top choice for two out of every ten people (18%), followed by loose associations of friends that regularly gather together (14%), a hobby club or social group (12%) and interaction with people in the neighborhood (7%).

Now that Dee and I have moved into a new house and new area, we're finding this question to be most relevant as we start establishing new "groups" that we identify with. Thus, finding a new church home is VERY significant as we look to the future. How would you answer those two questions?