Why I go to Church

"Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love."
That is my favorite line in any hymn or worship song. Maybe that has something to do with my favorite passage in the Bible, John 15, which features two words "remain" and "abide".
I have complete faith that God would never leave me - but I have just as much faith that I am real prone to wandering. I can convince myself of pretty much anything (it's that delusional thing again). I sometimes think too much and can get way down a line of thinking before I realize where I'm going. There's my ability to get way involved in stuff that interests me - books, writing, football, politics. People fascinate me so I watch people a lot. Those close to me and those not so close - what did they do or say, what will they do or say, why did they do or say that?
All of this is how I wander, little bit by little bit.
Now some folks may be able to keep from wandering by themselves. Not me. That's what I need church for. I need a body of struggling people who are voluntarily coming together to remind themselves and each other what believing in God is all about.
That's why I go to church and why I love it. To join with others just as clueless about the road we'll face tomorrow, but ready to face it together because we know God owns the road. And we worship God together - with differences and doubts, and, yet, hope. Hope because God knows us and knows we are prone to wander.
I think that's why he calls himself a shepherd - tending a bunch of wandering, clueless folks.
Wandering? Clueless? Sign me up!

Storm Clouds

Sitting outside watching the storm clouds roll through last night, I appreciated how much of the sky I could see. Last year a tornado hit our neighborhood and fell three very large trees in our back yard. Now, with some time, I can see what came about from that wreckage. Beautiful, dramatic tree tops we couldn't see, now fill our horizon. Two maple trees have grown about fifteen feet, since they no longer reside under a pine and oak canopy.
It's easy now to think we wanted it this way all along.
Change happens and part of growing older for me has been learning to embrace it. Yesterday, Mike and I roamed around seeking a restaurant for dinner after church. Our new church is in a part of town we aren't that familiar with. After a couple u-turns, some 'Closed on Sunday' signs, and much laughter - we finally were seated at a table in Dreamland BBQ. (Not the original one in Alabama - we weren't that lost!)
Mike said it was like we'd just moved to town and were finding our way around. We then shopped in a different mall than usual, which called for more map reading and sign watching.
When I see change on the horizon, many times it looks like the gathering clouds of a damaging storm. Sometimes it actually feels that way when I'm in it's midst and occasionally there is damage. But storms do pass and yesterday was a good day of discovery and laughter.
There are no clouds on our horizon right now, but maybe I can remember all this next time they start gathering over the mountains.