Giving Thanks; Day Four: Mt. Olive Church

Almost everyone knows my struggles with my faith.  I grew up in the New Apostolic Faith.  My mother, when I was like 13, moved us to another city away from my sister and I's friends and family to make a new life for us and attend her childhood church.  My sister and I never really had a choice what we wanted.  Needless to say I grew spiritually...attended a fantastic youth group, which gave me even more friends and travel opportunities that I never would have been given otherwise.  Met so many people and dated a lot of guys from different places.  But in all of these great experiences...I questioned a lot of the beliefs.  I mean core beliefs that whenever I was teaching or going to service made me feel like a fraud because I was there and didn't believe. 

Our church was just a small congregation of a huge organization...we went through a lot of hard times.  The church basically went through 2 blowouts and rebuilds before a certain Pastor came along.  This man then tried bringing the church more into the community, but since it was such a small congregation they fought it the whole way.  It was when the 3rd blowout was coming that I decided...hey I'm not being fed spiritually, I'm not growing in my faith...I've questioned a lot of it...and why am I here?  I finally realized I was there because I felt like I owed it to my mom to be there.  Even though both she and my sister never really attended anymore. 

That's when I found Mt. Olive.  It was presented to me as a non-denomination church, but have since learned it's Methodist.  And you know what...I don't care!  Yea, there are some weird things they do, but I realized it was only weird because of the amount of time I spent in the NAC church.  Their worship services are fun, uplifting, and loud!  Hands are raised, people are clapping, and everyone is singing!  Sermons are inspirational and have a message.  Whenever Pastor Barry gets up to deliver a sermon I know he's been working on it...at least all week if not longer!  There's still that chorus of Amen's or Hallelujah that freaks me out a little...but its getting easier and easier to just let myself go and feel the love of God in my worship experience.  They are a very big face in the community.  They feed the community, do toy drives, give away coats and clothes, they are to me the very definition of a Christ centered church.  We always hear Christ said bring me your tired, poor, and hungry.  Well this church sends them away energized, a bit richer, and very full.  I couldn't have asked for a better church family to belong to.