I survived my first Sunday preaching at my new churches. I made it to both places, and while preaching about diversity and change, I also managed to adapt and change.
Going from a "country church" that has the a/c pointed in a particular direction, hence the podium in the middle to the aisle, to another church that is so comfortable that I barely noticed any temperature variances, or from parking in a field to picking out a spot from one of the dozens to places around a building, or standing in front of a few people doing almost everything myself to preaching to a hundred people with a dozen folks helping in different ways (sound, video recording, music, singing, ushers, and greeters, just to name a few).
As I have said plenty of times, the people in this area are so great. They have been welcoming and inviting and open and courteous. Whenever something needs done, someone is responding to the need at a moment's notice.
Something that makes me nervous is time. While I've preached that "church doesn't have a closing time", I'm also a clock-watcher. I know that people make plans, and I'm just as guilty of worrying about the time on any given Sunday morning. Sure, so of it might come from my last parish where I had very limited time to get from one church to another, but I also dislike making other people's lives unbalanced.
With that being said, I found myself "sweating the small stuff" yesterday as the larger Worship Service ran about 70 minutes. Sure, there was Communion for 100 people, and there were some moments of grace when my Song Leader had to "point me in the right direction,", but still, the clock is on the wall for the reason. But no one said a word, other than a Relations Chairperson who talked with me about where to go to Sunday lunch and at what time (of course, if we get out later, we have to "rush" to the pizza buffet lines before other congregations - hahaha).
But after everything yesterday, as well as the comments I received at the "round table" this morning, I'm so amazed at the love the people are showing. Even this morning, the 70 minute service never came up - it was about my ability to recite the words for Communion, as well as doing the Service overall.
So I survived my first worship services here.
I hope the people survived me =)
