We went back to Thrive this morning.

We started out with four churches on our list. We kept our list small by first deciding what matters to us in a church. Of those four churches, Thrive is the one in which I feel the most "at home". I think I might be the only member of my family who feels this way. But since it's my blog, I guess it's okay for me to say how I feel.

There is just something about this no frills approach to worship that appeals to me. I have not glimpsed intimacy within a congregation and between a pastor and congregation since we left Double Springs Cumberland Presbyterian Church way back in 1990. We felt that we needed to leave that church because some of the teaching was too liberal in comparision to what we felt the Scriptures expressed. But it was tough to leave because those church members were all about loving one another and that pastor was friends with the members of his congregation. It was not perfect but it was home and it was family. And I have not felt anything remotely like it since.

I feel like I could invite Pastor Herb and his wife to my humble home and not be nervous. I can tell you that in the last several churches to which I've belonged, I would never feel like I was good enough to have the pastor over for dinner. I certainly do not feel like I could be that intimate with any of the pastors of the other churches on the list. And all of my pastors and all of the pastors of the churches on the list are really good, kind, loving men of God. And yet, I always felt/feel like I was/would be out of the circle.  Maybe that says more about me and my issues than it says about any of the pastors, but there it is nonetheless.

The more times I get to participate in praise and worship at Thrive, the more I appreciate Josh and his team. Nobody on there is in full time music ministry, they all have day jobs, and yet they put in the time and effort to keep the praise and worship relevent to the sermon and well rehearsed. 

Finally this morning we got to experience their AM Exchange. On other visits the AM Exchange has been canceled for some reason. The congregation is divided up after the service by whatever means pops into Pastor Herbs head that day. Today the congregation was divided by those who prefer hard shell tacos, those who prefer soft shell tacos, and those would just as soon have something else.  Bobby and Gabriel went to the hard shell taco group, I went to the soft shell taco group. The church bulletin includes discussion questions pertaining to the sermon. Those questions are discussed as a group, and there is time for prayer as well. I loved the AM Exchange. I absolutely loved it.

I could be happy at any of the three churches on our list, they all have strong teaching, expressive praise and worship. The other churches are larger and therefore offer more in terms of youth and kids ministry. And yet, I can so easily see myself joined with this band of warriors.

Disclaimer: The views presented on this blog are my views only. They do not necessarily represent the views of my husband and/or children. You'd have to ask them how they feel since none of them have blogs!