Once again I am tooling around the Steel City on a bus. The bus is packed and it has to be explained to people that they should use seats in the back and not stand in the front blocking everyone. There is the occasional person screaming for the back door even though the driver can get in trouble if they are caught using it.
I am on the 61C and there should be a larger bus on this run. Of course the Port Authority is opposed to doing anything that might make their customers happy or comfortable. So a shot bus it is. I suppose we are lucky they have not started using dodge darts.
I am off to Bible Study at Second Baptist. It is an odd format that I have not seen done anywhere else. You are given a Bible verse and asked to come up with your thoughts on it. Some have object lessions or mini sermons. Others tell how that verse made them fell. And the happy few tell elephant stories that are related to the Bible Verse.
On the face of it one would think this would be some kind of train wreck. To the contrary it works out most weeks. The people who come clearly spend time thinking about thier replies, and you get to learn a lot about the people you go to church with.
After a person has read their verse and said their piece the floor is open to comment from everyone else around the table. This ranges from well thought out Biblical commentaries to jokes about people being old.
In many of the churches that I have been a member this would lead to great division in the congregation and much gossip. At Second Baptist it leads to a greater understanding of the word and a great deal of good natured fun.
Over the last couple of years I have thought a great deal about what church should be. I have tried to list what are the best traditions, command structure, physical layout and a hundred other details. I would have never considered such a Bible Study as being part of the mix. So over the last year I have thought a great deal about this particular Bible Study. I would like to think that such a Bible Study could be a blessing to any church. Sadly it strikes me that many Christians are too thin skinned or not introspective enough. So in the end I have a lot of reasons why it would not work elsewhere. I have very few reason why it works here. Maybe the people are special. Maybe the Holy Spirit is particularly strong in this congregation. It could be the leadership of the group.
What ever it is this church has been set apart for something special. When it realised what that thing it will be something to see.
Be safe out there and keep your stick on the ice
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