Church - First Time I’ve Gone On My Own, Knowing No One, in Over a Decade : Loving Jacqui

Church - First Time I’ve Gone On My Own, Knowing No One, in Over a Decade

… and that was a much different, non-Christian church.

Today I went, on my own, to Glad Tidings Pentecostal church (I have no “denomination”) in Victoria, BC. I wanted to go to the first possible service so I chose the 9 a.m.

I chose a Pentecostal church because I had had a good experience going to Summit Christian Church with my girlfriend, Jacqui, as her guest when I was in Australia. Besides, I thought they would be more likely to use the Today’s New International Version (TNIV) Bible, which is the only one I had: A gift from Jacqui over two years ago in September 2005, that I had paid scant attention to except as a talisman, kissing it on occasion when thinking about God or, more frequently, Jacqui’s sweetness.

Before attending this sermon I had watched this video explaining the work that went into the this new translation of the Bible. After watching the video, particularly the last 16 seconds, which won’t make sense to anyone aside from Jacqui at this point, I felt more comfortable with using it. I the installed a TNIV “Word of God search…” box on this site and found how I could read the Bible online – great because then I wouldn’t get the pages dirty while I ate my breakfast.

I ate fresh baked fish while reading for the first time, which seemed right. Onward…

While a very large building with two levels of seats, there were no more than 150 people in attendance, mostly older. At first I noticed one young woman, then a young man who looked like he had come in off of the streets (which is good) who left halfway through, then I noticed another young man, and finally a young woman arrived and sat near me late. I learned later this is the second morning service they had to open up because the other one is more full. The 10:30 service apparently has more young people, children, and families.

Jacqui’s church had a much better Gospel singing crew including, sometimes, her. Glad Tiding’s vocal lead was pretty much the pastor, Ron Michalski, yet GT had a more impressive classical instrumentation section.

I listened and participated in the service in a way I hadn’t before, although I had always been respectful in the past. I could feel it. I wasn’t thinking about other things with my eyes closed; I was thinking about the service, the music, and Jesus.

It’s true that when I thought most was a mystery to me… except for the love and goodness I felt. It was the same as when you watch a small child at play or when you see an couple so old they can hardly walk shuffling ahead of you slowly on a path… holding hands like they have probably being doing for 60 years.

It helped that Pastor Ron gave a well presented intellectually engaging Sermon that kept my attention throughout. I love Jacqui’s pastors, Ray and Marie, for many reasons including welcoming me into their home. Their home itself is a peaceful loving place with a lot of activity. They are good people and produced and raised fantastic offspring. Their sermon styles were different though and I enjoyed the methodology and planned delivery of Ron Michalski, who I later learned was born in my city of birth, Winnipeg.

After the sermon where the pastor invited new people to meet him, I approached the pastor, talked with him, and was invited back, of course. I also in an attempt to be helpful pointed out an error in the church program guide where it said to turn our clocks back one hour to standard time on April 4th next week (my province had changed the law on time changes and there was much confusion)… and said it was tonight. He insisted it was really the 4th and later that day I found out he was right.

Filed under: God

1 Comment — add a comment!

There is no more to say except I LOVE YOU.

I wish I could be there now to give you a massive hug and kiss.

I will come with you now to church when I get there.

Comment by Bear
3:10 PM Vancouver, Canada time on Wed. Oct 31st, ’07