I found my niche!

So, the past four weeks I have really cheated everyone by not posting. These have been an amazing 4 weeks in my life, a time of spiritual renewal and healing. Yet this has been a really shitty weekend. But, I think I'll thrive on the positive today.

The most amazing thing that has happened to me lately is that I "accidentally" found a church three weeks ago. It has everything I'm looking for in a church:

* within walking distance

* friendly people

* an amazing pastor

* good worship

* a heart for the city

* authenticity

* people my own age

I could go on... But, basically, after the first week I had pretty much decided to return after the service, and since then I have only been receiving confirmation that this is where I belong. The pastor teaches on passages that are beyond familiar to me, and yet they feel fresh and new. A cool couple who works as part of the staff lives literally 3 doors down from me yet we've never met. I ran into an acquaintance from college - someone who knows two of my best friends. And this past week was the clincher. I had spontaneously decided to stay after for a meeting about the church and its vision etc. The pastor sat down and was chatting with me and when he found out where my "home church" is he said, "I love Central! We partner with them for HopeSprings" (their HIV ministry in the city). And if THAT wasn't enough, later when he was speaking of the vision for the church, he stated that they are on track to start a new service sometime early next year that will be bilingual - Spanish and English - and they will need people who speak spanish to help out! My jaw literally dropped. And finally, their authenticity was proven when a young woman who I had barely met stumbled across me outside (I had left early) in the midst of a meltdown on the sidewalk, and she sat with me, and then took me out for some tea and talked for 2 hours. If that isn't authenticity and community, I don't know what is.