What are you working on?

On yourself, I mean. I realized the other day, in conversation with friends, that the journey I'm on right now with God is about freedom. Freedom from all the man-made rules I grew up with in our church and faith-life. Rules my mother still freaks over if I break (and I still react like a 6 year old when she does....cringing, and back-peddling my resolve...another thing I'm working on in tandem with the first).

I/we started going to a different church about 6 months ago. After thinking and praying about it for about 2 years. Now I wonder what took me so long, lol. But the one thing I can honestly say the last church did for me was WAKE. ME. UP. to the bondage I was in from "the rules"...

It was little things...like looking around and seeing even the "good little old ladies" wearing dress pants b/c they were sick of the rule that states "Thou shalt wear dresses to church, even in Canada, where the winter temperatures reach -42 and your legs turn blue."

Like having the Pastor's wife hand me a piece of gum to chew during the sermon, then missing the entire sermon b/c I was waiting for God to STRIKE. ME. DEAD. That would, of course, be because I broke the rule that states "Thou shalt not chew gum in church!"

Those rules. You know, the ones FIRMLY grounded in Scripture. Insert eye-roll here.

The new church, well, I can only say it is blowing the rules all to heck and back. Jeans. JEANS, I say! Sandals...on the MEN! NO ties...on either the women OR the men...although I suppose if ties are in style for women, they'd wear them. Just saying.

Drums. Loud speakers for the guitars. Folding chairs. Jeans. A Minister who wears jeans! (sorry...still stuck on that one) Hand raising. Front-row sitting. Babies welcome. Giggling allowed. Timmies coffee accepted. (in the SANCTUARY, people!)

UCofC, CCC, PCofC person in serious rule-breaking shock here. And you know what? The shock is good. It's freeing. I'm learning more and more about the Father who wants us there. In church. Fellowshipping and praising. Regardless of what we're wearing, or what non-existant pew we're sitting in.

I haven't worn jeans yet..but I may get there someday soon. I can say, the girls and I are flourishing in our new church home. And that's a good thing.