Solid Rock

This morning we went to Solid Rock. A big box church that was recommended to us by Haley & Chelsea Carlsson, Erik Harrington's folks (Kim's husband) & a couple we met at Kim's wedding. We thought that for it to be a big church they must be doing something right so we should check it out to see if we can handle it's size. We left with mixed feelings but plan to return and see if it's worth the sacrifices you make being a big box church attender. Just getting there was a little bit of a challenge. The turn lane to turn down the street the church is on was backed up to where we had to sit through about 6-8 light cycles. Then approaching the parking lot we wondered if we'd find parking. We went to the 11am service but there is a 9am service we may try next time and get there a 8:30am. They had new comer parking upfront so we took advantage of that. Walking into the building it was like a circus. Very crowded and loud, the 9am people were still leaving. We had no idea where to take Ethan so we made our way slowing through the crawling crowd to the information desk and asked. They have so many 2-3 year olds that they break them up in half by first name (a-l & m-z). The room was really cute though and Ethan ran straight for a train table like his at home. They were welcoming there and I felt like he was in good hands. After dropping Ethan off we entered the "garage" (that's what they call their sanctuary) and we were told they were all full. Feeling kinda upset that as new comers we might have to worship from the lobby or the video room, I almost walked out, but the gentleman that told us they were full found us again and had found us seats. So that made me feel a little more welcome but I still think they should reserve a small section specifically for new comers if they fill up that fast! But anyways, the worship was great, as I thought it would be and the message was good. The message was a pretty heavy subject, adultery, cause someone had leaked it to the staff that one of their own pastors was cheating on his wife, they confronted him & it was true. So that was what they had been dealing with as a pastoral team prior to this Sunday. So they announced it to the congregation and let them know he had resigned (but would have been fired), will still be attending and asks their forgiveness. The sermon actually spoke to me, not that I am cheating on my husband or anything cause I would never do that, but he talked about how our bodies are not just our own but God's and your spouses and that we should take better care of it so we stay appealing to our spouse. That it's our responsibility to help our spouse stay faithful and not look to another to fulfill things we don't provide. I thought it was a good sermon for any married couple to hear and to talk about later and learn from another person's mistakes. When the pastor came forward and admitted what he had done and asked the congregation for forgiveness and his wife & family for theirs as well he was crying, broken & vulnerable, it was pretty powerful. He made me cry. Seeing just about any man cry makes me cry but seeing him have the guts to do that, to take responsibility for his actions was moving. His wife may not have felt the same way, I'm sure it will take her a long time to forgive, it would take me a long time, if I could even forgive, but that must have been hard!

I think we will go back next Sunday!

Stolpps signing off...