the sympathetic vibration

Part of my transition to a new city has been trying to find a church to attend and get involved with. So far I’ve visited a number of places, but today I didn’t even get myself up in time to attend any morning services. I searched high and low on the internet for a congregation that meets Sunday afternoons or evenings (something I’d probably like on a regular basis - not just when I feel lazy), but couldn’t find anything. I’m trying to determine what I’m even looking for and coming up pretty empty… although this afternoon online I was looking specifically for churches in the OPC (closest one is in Austin), or the Brethren in Christ (nothing in Texas), and then Mennonite (of which there is one church in town, but it appears to be a house church maybe, and I’m not entirely sure where it meets).

I guess what I’m looking for is a grassroots group of people who are committed to their neighborhood, to living simply, and to thinking of “church” as extending much past Sunday morning corporate worship. There are some big, big churches in town that I think must have started with this philosophy, but I am really intimidated by the big church experience (the last time I regularly attended a church that had its own building was in elementary school)! It’s a challenge for me to even visit a church like that because the essence of it is so different than what I am accustomed to. 

It would probably help if I were more motivated - because I don’t even really like the idea of church “shopping” anyway. Mostly because I don’t think involvement in a faith community should be about seeing what the church can offer me. Unfortunately, it is proving to be difficult to find the relationships and community I need while sitting home alone on my couch. Go figure.

I wish there were more options at churches that were more like what is most familiar to me. Instead there are a million baptist churches, and seemingly not much else, and sadly I just can’t really decipher the Baptist lingo to know which congregations might potentially have the right space that needs to be filled by me.

In other news, I bought my very own washer and dryer for the new house. Yay! 

And… Patti and I are starting a little etsy story with knitted items called Little Wing Knits. We are still getting set up and none of my things are even listed yet, but I’m excited to hopefully sell a few items and support my yarn habit in that way now that I’m no longer working at a yarn shop (not to mention the fact that I have a huge cedar chest full of yarn that needs to be used).

Lastly, after a full month of work, I still really like my job (even though at [most] times it is emotionally draining). I’m really thankful to be here.