Church

So I went to church with my dad today to help him with the sound system and the power point.  We got there in time to learn that there was already someone there running the power point and he was just going to Help the person run the sound board.  So this service in particular happened to be Communion Sunday as well as Confirmation Sunday for 11 new members of the church.


The service started out smoothly... Dad and I sat upstairs and waited for the service to start.  My purse was on the pew next to me (because there was literally NO one else upstairs except the four of us) and I was listening to the opening words of the service.  A man came up with his girlfriend and stood there pointing at my purse.  Being so great at sign language, I recognized the sign and kindly apologized, then placed my purse on the floor.  He and his girlfriend sat down.  
Shortly after the service had proceeded for a while (still going smoothly), Confirmation started.  The person running the power point had his "time to shine!".  So he started the show.  About 3 minutes before the first person went up to be confirmed.  So unfortunately for the other confirmee's, (is that right?) their pictures were all played during the time the person before them was getting confirmed (awkward). 


The wife of the SOUND man (not the power point driver) came upstairs to ask her husband to fix the show.  The power point man (PPM for short) said "it's a movie, I can't fix it...".  So she sat behind her husband, Sound Man (SM) and Just. Kept. Nagging.  She was talking to the man next to her (as the upstairs had filled up at this point) saying "they should just start it over" or "I don't understand why they don't just turn it off" and she would constantly get up to whisper in her husband's ear, all the while young people are going up to the front of the church to be received into the church.  Well then another woman came upstairs and said "There's music with this and it's not playing.  My Son-in-law made the music and he wants us to hear it."  To which PPM said (again) "I can't restart it, but I'll see what I can do about the sound." and with not so much as a "thank you", she was back downstairs.


No less than 3 minutes later, a man came upstairs and said "Just in case you haven't been informed, the show is off.  Can you start it over?  Let me try."  to which PPM said (a third time) "I can't, I'm sorry, it's a dvd.".  So finally, being the person next to PPM, I said "I'll look into it and try to help him.  If worst comes to worst, I will try to play it when the Pastor walks back down the aisle with all of the confirmed."  So the man went back downstairs.  NO LESS than 3 more minutes later, they had sent up a small child to collect the DVD saying "We'll just play it later."


All the while all of this is happening, SM's wife is still voicing her opinion.


Onto the Scripture lesson of the day... Matthew 21: 33-46
The Pastor ended the scripture reading by saying "Uh oh... I just read from the wrong Chapter.  So THAT is what Matthew 22 says, let's hear what Matthew 21 has to say... And today was going so well!"  PROBLEM SOLVED!


It was then time for offering.  The people downstairs were handed the baskets by some of the people getting confirmed.  The man that had asked me to move my hand-bag (by way of the finger) (index finger) looked over at me and said "there's no basket up here, what do we do?!"  So I thought... "you go Get a basket..." but instead just stood up and looked around.  the man that was downstairs (and driving the order of the service) handed me an ice-cream pail.  I can't help but think to myself how many people would have just put their money back in their pocket if I had come around with an ice-cream pail...  I'd look like I was trying to get some shopping money!  So I snooped around the dressing room for a basket.  Success.


When leaving the sanctuary after the closing hymn, I was waiting for Dad when the wife of PPM walked in front of me (failing to notice the step down) and tripped.  She hollered "SH*T" as she caught her footing.  She turned to me with a smile and said "didn't see the step there!".  I smiled... "yeah, it'll jump out at ya.."


It makes me wonder where the real meaning behind "going to church" comes from.  Though I don't go to Church as often as some people, I'm a firm believer that church is a place you go for fellowship and to center yourself in God-filled relationships.  It's interesting to me to see how going to church becomes such a routine for some people that they forget the reason they go in the first place.  The man running the power point wasn't an idiot... he wasn't wrong for doing what he did (or didn't do).  He was doing his best.  I commend him for that. 


When you put yourself in a situation where someone seems less capable than another person or where you feel "you can do it better" or "this is caveman-simple" and become impatient, please take a minute to think about the situation this person is in and how your attitude toward them affects their confidence, their day, or their faith.


I hope you had a fantastic start to the new month!!


Happy October!


Rebecca