Pew Jumpers and Penguins

As a teenager, I visited several churches that were unlike the one I grew up in. One of those churches was Pentecostal. Another church was old and cold or as some would describe it: dead. This was a fascinating experience for me. The congregation I was familiar with as a child was fun and inviting. There were no awkward moments and the only boring moments occurred when attending the adult gathering as a child. Almost all children of that time period found it to be boring compared to Big Bird.

At the charismatic gatherings, strange languages were spoken aloud, people waved banners in which you would often catch in the face, and people would walk up to the front of the building just to fall down. Often, certain men were assigned with great dignity to put a cloth over the legs of the ladies who “fell out” while at the altar. At these gatherings, some people would dance, some would kneel, some would shout, some would shake, and money was spoken of a lot. My favorite people were the older big boned women that always arrived wearing a muumuu with no shoes carrying nothing but a gigantic Bible in one hand and a loud tambourine in the other. Sweet!

Had you not been used to this environment and then visited as a child, it would truly be frightening. Fortunately, I was old enough to process it well. Sometimes I didn’t know whether to laugh or join in the fun. Other times, I realized that these people were serious. They were genuine, and I should respect it as long as they don’t force me to shake, rattle, and roll.

Then, there was the church full of penguins. Now that could sound like a derogatory word for nuns, but it wasn’t a Catholic parish. I’m describing a place so cold and drab that it seems only arctic birds would feel comfortable enough to stay. In this environment fun didn’t exist, it was a bad word. Everyone had to dress up nice and if you didn’t wear a tie and polish your shoes even as a child the Lord Himself frowned upon you. It smelled like formaldehyde in the building. You kept silent, you were not allowed to move or make noise, you adjusted to the posture of the oldest people in the room who happened to all be stodgy, and even the people passing the offering plates didn’t smile. It was like a zombie fest! It made the Amish seem whimsical.

The commonality in these two scenarios is the Holy Spirit. You may say what? These two extremes express what it is like to be out of order and emotional versus bound and uninspired. There is a holy balance. The Holy Spirit desires to shake up the penguins and simmer down the pew jumpers. He desires for all of them to get out of their corporate gatherings and get into the community. The Spirit of Christ inspires people to live like Christ in serving those who are all around us but not like us. Christ constantly rubbed shoulders with those that didn’t even believe in Him. His Spirit still motivates us to live the same. We are to provide truth to the stubborn and mercy to the fallen but season both with grace.

At COR (City of Refuge), we want to be a community of people that is active but not whacky. We desire to be influenced by the Spirit of God to make a difference in the world where children won’t be frightened by shenanigans but can be a kid. They can be noisy and full of wonder, but they will learn about God’s grace and truth. This is how the Holy Spirit lived through Christ. The children were invited to hang out with Him to be blessed. We also want the adults to have fun but not act like the children. There is a difference. We invite you to join us! We hope the environment will be welcoming and encouraging to your life regardless of your age and demographic! This week we are learning more about the One True God.