Tasting Good!

What does a restaurant, a couple of musicians, a preacher, and a few hungry people have in common?... More than you think.  Each time I am on vacation from my own church, I enjoy finding other churches to attend for worship.  It’s nice not to lead and just slip in the back unnoticed.  Sometimes I attend a large mega church and belt out rocking praise songs as we sing to the Lord.  It’s easy to lose my not so perfect pitch in a crowd so large.  Other times I attend new forms of worship like a new church start that sets up and tears down weekly in a local school cafeteria.  This week I chose the latter. 

A friend of mine has taken worship out of the usual worship environment and into the world.  Literally.  It’s called “The Church in a Diner” and it actually meets in a… well… diner!  It also meets on Monday night at 7 pm, rather than the typical Sunday morning time slot.  These facts fascinated me for several reasons.  I never get to sleep in on a Sunday morning.  I enjoy learning new forms of worship.  And I love to eat out!  No brainer!  I was in. 

My husband and I arrived about 10 minutes to 7 and noticed a large mobile banner out near the road stating that the “Church in a Diner” worshiped here tonight.  When we opened the door to the restaurant, there was another banner, though this one was tall and vertical.  It not only stated the name of the church, but also the three simple words “Curious – Creative - Compassionate” clearly across the top.  We were greeted and immediately taken to a table.  Other than the two banners and two musicians in one corner, nothing looked any different than other restaurants I had visited. 

Soon one of the musicians welcomed us all and invited us to join in the singing, if we wished, as words were projected on a screen hung obscurely on one wall.  The projector was professionally mounted on the ceiling just like at Concord UMC.  About half way through the second song, I noticed we were worshiping.  One of the musicians led us in a simple prayer as he wrapped up the singing and soon the pastor was in the forefront.  He simply meandered among the tables, turning around to look directly at different tables at different moments.  He engaged me directly several times.  He did the same to others.  He began walking through the book of Jonah, all four chapters, like a buddy telling hunting stories across the Thanksgiving table.  At one point he got under a table and another he stood on a chair to make his points.  People laughed along with him as he kept everything informal and relational. 

Before he finished he showed a couple short videos of some of their newest church members as they shared how they either were invited or invited others.  They also shared why they liked this church so much.  Answers included that they worked on Sunday mornings, this church wasn't stuffy, and people were compassionate rather than stuck in surface chit chat.  One man shared directly with my hubby and I that his old church wouldn't allow him to talk about his daughter’s addiction with prescription drugs and that he and his wife were raising their grandkids until she came out of rehab.  He was told “this isn't the place for that.”  I thought (and said aloud with shock) “then where is?!”  He answered immediately “here.”  Another man shared with us how many times in scripture Jesus shared a meal with others as he taught his Father’s ways.  I thought, “true, true…” 

An hour or so later, a phenomenal hand-pattied burger and fresh cut fries later, and I was no longer hungry.  Both my spirit and my belly were filled to the rim.  Haven’t been to a church in a while?  Or maybe never?  You might want to try it.  God is up to something new and boy, does it taste good!