It didn't rain. I drove to a neighboring town to visit a church I attended one Sunday evening in May. It was a nice change. Different atmosphere. Different ways of doing things. Variety is good. Often I hear people comment how they would a different church only to return to theirs and exclaim with a sigh of relief how glad they are that their church was not like that church. Yes, I've said that, too. However, one of the things that I have learned (for myself) is that the Christian body is so much bigger than just one denominational slice. (And honestly, there's no such thing as nondenominational. The labels have been created. Either you're this or you're that. Even if you claim to be 'nondenominational' someone is going to categorize you.) One denomination doesn't know everything there is to know about God and His Word. It's presumptuous to think so. Some may claim to know more than others, and that may be the case, but really if we are truly Christians and love God, we all have something to contribute. No one or group is more significant over another.
The service was patriotic in theme. The message was geared to bring us to mind that God is the Creator God and hence deserves our praise. God is the God who intervenes on our behalf. God is the God who blesses.
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." Psalm 33:12
The message was also a call for us to pray for our nation and our leaders.
Afterwards I met a friend for brunch. Due to going the wrong direction and somehow missing a turn or something, I arrived late. Usually we have boisterous get togethers, often times peppered with laughter and such. This day was probably the most subdued...because of my ill mood. So far the three-day weekend was not going as I had planned or hoped that it would, and I let that affect me. We talked a bit about the HBO series "John Adams". I watched that a couple years ago with another friend, and bought the DVD set for my dad last year. My friend just caught it on television a couple nights ago.
This morning I read an article on the New York Times. The writer noted that the signers of the Declaration of Independence could by no means have known what kind of world 2010 would be, yet they managed to pen a document that would still be as relevant today as it was in 1776. One of the signers was quoted to say that the Declaration would not have been possible had the finger of God not been involved. Imagine drafting a government from scratch. Daunting task.
After brunch we parted ways. I didn't go to any BBQs or backyard cookouts. Rather I went to the mall. Sounds crazy to me, but I rather enjoyed mingling with the people and sales associate. The one in Fossil asked me how my holiday was. In return I asked how was his. He was going to a BBQ after work and really looking forward to it. Another one in New York & Co. was the most jovial. Her day was good and not too busy. It fluctuated, she said. A teen (Church of God) girl in long skirt and sleeves tried on modern heels while her mother watched. Saw a man in Dillards who looked the spittin' image of Bruce Willis.
Usual way to spend Independence Day. It gets better. A friend met me at Barnes and Noble. We then bought tickets to see "The Last Airbender." While we waited, we went to a nearby Italian restaurant and ordered margaritas and their Caprese Skewers. The amount of salt on the glass was perfect! The movie did not live up to it's hype. From a director who is known for his plots and storytelling, this one was skimpy on story and top-heavy on special effects. After two hours of stunned disbelief we went to Starbucks where the barista informed us that fireworks would start soon and we would be able to view it just outside the store. That explained why people congregated in the parking lot in lawn chairs. We got our coffee and shared a slice of lemon poundcake outside...underneath a semi-dark sky illuminated by street and traffic lights. Once the show began, customers congregated and for a few minutes we became a community of onlookers admiring the explosion and lights. Simple setting. Totally unplanned. Absolutely memorable.
Happy Independence Day!
No comments:
Post a Comment