Church

I decided to visit a presbyterian church this morning...I had never gone inside this particular church before--perhaps because it looked like it might be gloomy inside, perhaps because I heard someone tell of someone they knew who visited that church and was asked to sing a song for the congregation in English...I don't sing well, so at that time, I thanked my lucky stars I hadn't happened to visit THAT church when I was church-hunting.

Well, I now know people who attend this church and was assured that visitors are not requested to sing the congregation a song.  They are, however, asked to speak into a microphone.  I wasn't excited about that.  But when it came time for visitors to stand up, a missions team from America was introduced and their leader said his piece.  Then a Guatemalan man stood up and greeted the congregation in the microphone.  I, however, did not raise my hand or stand.  Instead, I stayed seated next to some Americans I knew had visited the church before and did my best NOT to look like a first time visitor.  It worked, too.  Nobody called me on it or asked for my name.  I was very excited.  I personally do not support requiring visitors to stand up and address the congregation.  I don't even like standing up to receive a "distinguished visitor" sticker.  (But that's just me. :-)

I was looking forward to the more traditional service this morning, and the longer hymns were a welcome change.  However, I was disappointed to hear another sermon that was only loosely based on scripture.  Finding a church where the sermon is framed around scripture is proving fairly hard to find.  So far the pentecostal church comes closest, so I will probably just continue going there.