Last night, I went back to church at Community in Harrison City for the second week in a row. Last week was the first time and I wanted to prove that this wasn’t a one week thing. This time, I felt more comfortable. I knew that last week wasn’t going to be an immediate bounce back after being away for an extended period of time.I used the Bible app on my phone to get the scripture. In the past, I always brought my Bible and I will do that again. We have the option of both and either one works, depending on your preference. The message last night, as it was the week before, was part of a series tied to the upcoming Presidential election. But it was something that the pastor said last week that I really needed to hear. “Who you vote for doesn’t define you”. He also talked about how people think their ideology to reign supreme over everyone.
Over the years, I felt I would be torn down for voting for the Democratic ticket. This all stems back to my college days. I was also having a hard time dealing with post-academic life. But I’ve ran into some people who go to church and lean more to the left, making me feel better about myself. I learn to ignore most social media now but the political ads can be so cruel, making me remember some of those people who used to bully me in the past over my views.
My goal when going to church is to talk to at least three people either before or after the service, taking the initiative to introduce myself. I did get coffee before the service (hello, Pumpkin Spice Latte) and pushed my Cutie’s visit back to sometime this week (either Tuesday or Thursday). Cherry Pie Chai for me this week and then the Maple Cutie Latte next week. Who plans their drink options in advance? I may be the first person I know to do this. I have met at least one person whom I attended church functions with in the past. I’ve also ran into someone who works at Giant Eagle.
The Saturday night service is very laid back and is just the right mix for me as I ease back into church. They also have communion every week. This was one of the churches suggested by my club President. I told her about my situation and why I hadn’t been attending regular services for the last three years, save for Christmas and a brief stretch in early 2023 at Cornerstone. One of these days I will check out a Sunday service and when I get established, come for dinner on Wednesday night. I’ll do my best to go to a Christmas Eve service, depending on my schedule.
A couple more factoids about my experience with the church to close off this blog post:
I go against the status quo of most Christians in my political views and lean to the left. I don’t need to say much more about this and last night’s sermon cleansed a lot of those wounds for me. However, I still get flustered at some of the stuff I read on social media. But after a while and some venting, it all blows over. People can be so vicious behind a computer screen though, as well as when your ideologies don’t align with theirs.
Case in point, JD Vance and Primanti Bros.
I started listening to contemporary Christian music late in my Hiram G. Andrews Center/Johnstown days. It continued into my time at Slippery Rock. Eventually, by the post-college days I felt obligated to listen to it because other people I went to church with were doing it too. I also went through a lot of regret in those early post-academia days (usually over stupid decisions I made in school) and always got into it with people over stupid stuff too.
Last night, I listened to an HD jazz station and on the way back, the Charlie Brown Halloween soundtrack (which fit perfectly as I was driving home and it was getting dark). I felt very comfortable and didn’t worry about whether I’d fit in or not.
Stylish 🍒 