Second visit to Grace Chapel. Actually third if you count the Christmas production. And finally, I was going to hear the pastor speak. We are currently trying to make some decisions regarding our church home, and have been excited about the experience at Grace Chapel, but have been really wanting to hear from their senior pastor. This was the day. But nope, some young dude (I feel old now that I would say/think “some young dude”) took the stage. A stand in. A substitute. Are you kidding me! I was completely disappointed and all but immediately tuned out. It was like going to a concert only to find that your favorite band is using a last minute fill in as lead singer. But as I sat there pouting, something strange happened. God spoke to me anyway.

One of the greatest challenges for the church is that everyone approaches it with expectations. That was one of the first things this “young dude” said. Either expectations for themselves or expectations of others, but in any event they are “expecting” something. Um, yep. I was expecting the senior pastor. But now I was listening intently. God had sent me a personal message. He said, “Hey, you know I can speak through anyone I choose, right? Well, today I chose this young dude.” And so I tuned back in.

So he continued to paint a picture of what church should look like. He talked about the importance of relationship. He provided a roadmap found in Matthew 22. Love the Father. Love each other. And and that’s the way it’s done. I don’t know about you, but for the longest time I’ve showed up at church with great expectations. Hey, God, can you charge my battery? Man, I hope the worship is good today. What’s going to be in the sermon for me today? If I spent less time worried about all that and focused on being in relationship with God and those around me, I am pretty sure God will take care of the rest and provide me with the spiritual nourishment, motivation, support that I need.

Finally, on a mostly unrelated note, the young dude said something delivered straight to me from God. He said something to the effect of “You know that feeling you have inside, like there’s gotta be more? God planted that there.” I started this journey based on that exact feeling. That restless, unrequited, frustrating, nagging, painful, unrelenting feeling that there has to be more. I hadn’t, believe it or not, considered that God had placed it there. That puts a new spin on it for me.