My Church

When I worked for Hershey's, we would always meet at Panera Bread in Edmond because of the free WiFi. Across from the Panera was a big church that sat up on a hill, and there was a sign near it that said Faith Church. At this time, I was living in a hotel because my apartment was brand new and the complex was not ready for me to move in yet. On Wednesday night, I was bored out of my mind because I did not know anyone, and it struck me that I should just go to service at that big church that sat up on the hill. I figured that everything would be fine because a sign near the church said, "Faith Church" and I like non-denominational churches. When I pulled into the parking lot, there was an older couple that had just got out of their car, and they invited me to come sit with them during service. The man asked all about me as we were walking into the church, and his response to one of my answers through me back a bit but not enough to make me dwell over it. He asked what denomination church I attended, and I replied Baptist. He just stared at me for a second, and with a confused look on his face, simply said, "Well, OK." The church setting was all too familiar, not in the fact that it was a contemporary Faith Church that I had imagined, but it looked just like the church that I had grown up attending. It had a lot of dark wood, there were a lot of elderly people (to which I just shrugged off as the Wednesday night loyalties), and there was a big, extravagant pulpit (a lot of contemporary churches are shying away from using a pulpit). It never clicked to me where I was or what was going on until they started praying. The preacher bowed his head and all at once, the auditorium erupted with noises of everyone praying out loud at the same time; some were in languages that I had never heard. Then it hit me, I was in a Pentecostal church. Upon further inspection of the Faith Church sign, it was meant for the driveway located in front of the sign and I pulled into the drive way behind it. I started cracking up because I realized I had turned into the wrong driveway and went to the wrong church service. I left marks on my sides from where I was pinching myself so hard to keep myself from laughing so loud. Luckily, my laughter was drowned out by the speaking in tongues of people near me. At this point, I started planning my exit strategy. Everyone was so eager to meet me, and learn everything about me because I was such a "sharp looking young man." When they asked for my phone number so they could keep in contact, I gave them my email due to the fact that "it was so hard to get me on my cell." As I was getting into my car to leave, I looked in my rear view mirror and saw this lady dragging a big bald man (Doug) to my car. I got out of the car, and she introduced him as the young adult pastor. We talked for a long time, and he ended up telling me that they played basketball on Monday nights, so I started going to basketball because I had nothing else to do in this town. Eventually, Doug convinced me to go to his college service, and that is when I realized that the college group was a non-denominational group. Doug and I eventually formed a good friendship, and I have been his assistant ever since. As of today, I go to their Sunday morning service, and for a while, I even joined the choir. It really is a good church, but you don't have to worry about me converting any time soon.