I'm doing a shocking and unheard of thing right now: I'm sprawled on the couch JUST RELAXING (sort of, considering I'm on Steemit...) What better way to rest on a chilly Sunday afternoon, than curl up near a wood stove?
We're Sunday morning churchgoers. I grew up doing the "go to all the services ever" thing, and all it did was exhaust us. Plus our little country roads church cancels Sunday night services half the time anyway (tonight included!)
Out on a country road. There's a farm with a herd of calves smack across the road from it!
I've experienced so many different churches thanks to being a military child and a military member myself, and having a rather nomadic lifestyle. Tiny, huge, elderly congregation, young congregation, televised (I've been on TV as part of the orchestra, ha!), super old fashioned, super modern, let's throw in chapel services on an aircraft carrier and the fact that until last week I was still literally a member of a black church (you read that right) and I think I've pretty much experienced the spectrum of Baptist and non/trans denominational churches. With that in mind, I really feel that this one has a wonderful mix of old fashioned ways (like singing traditional hymns with just a piano accompaniment, pastor leading the singing) with casualness (kids aren't expected to sit still and quiet, we sing happy birthday to people, prayer request time is interactive.) It's just very simple, down to earth, and homey.
Pulpit
Hymnal
Our pastor could best be described as one of the most humble and genuinely caring people I know. He wears himself thin running around ministering to his flock--heck, he showed up and visited us in the hospital when the kids were born, and at that point we had only gone to a couple services at his other church with the Husband's cousin! He preaches an early service at that church, for a handful of very elderly people (Husband's cousin and his wife are the young whippersnappers there, being only in their 60's) and then drives over to our church for the 11 am service.
Just another Sunday morning with a random farmer's dog meandering through the parking lot
Services are pretty simple...sing a hymn, have announcements, take prayer requests, pray, sing another hymn, take up an offering, sing the Doxology, then the pastor does a "children's moment" up front before sending the kids back to children's church and preaching the sermon. Children's moment can get downright hilarious! Pixie announced to the congregation today that "Spring is chasing away Winter!" (She may or may not have been repeating her mother's totally unscientific explanation of why it's been so windy lately.)
These renditions (of which I'm not a fan) of Jesus and the disciples hang in the back of the room...and I need to figure out next week who replaced Judas in the lineup, because...
...Judas is actually banished to the coat rack outside. Hahaha
Last week we took the step of officially joining the church...and it feels so good to have made the commitment to join their community :)
This hangs in the women's bathroom, and I really want to either embroider or do my own calligraphy version for my house! Like that's going to happen anytime soon...so in the meantime I'll enjoy it on Sundays!
Today we got home from church and I was all invigorated by the brisk air and sunshine, and intended to tackle a million and one projects. We walked in the door, and the warmth of the wood stove hit me, and all my ambition utterly evaporated. The Husband pointed out that I never just sit and chill anymore...so here I sit chilling on the couch, while the Husband watches golf...well, while I typed that sentence, the small children came rampaging in with the announcement that they're hungry. So I guess I better go feed them.
Teddy is in heaven, using me as a pillow.
Resolved: make sure I actually rest on Sunday, even if just for an hour or two. It feels so good to recharge a bit for the week ahead. Hope everyone else is enjoying their weekend!