We love you.  We believe everything Jesus says, so we might not agree with everything you choose in your life (you don’t need our approval anyway) ...but you are still family.  We trust God to convict you of sin; it is not our place to condemn you for it.  Everybody is in a different place on the path and accountable to God.  We path walkers are family, despite sin, despite human foibles, we love each other, help each other.  Come as you are.  You don’t have to pretend with family.

I started to respond to Gid’s article https://forums.joeuser.com/?FoRumID=65&AID=160644#1285537, but it was too long so I decided to write about my experience here.

I attended a church while visiting a friend in Tupelo Mississippi.  It's called The Orchard.  Technically they are under the United Methodist Church, but very loosely.  There are several things they teach at the church from scripture which is in direct opposition to UMC doctrine.  For example, they believe once sealed, always sealed...and UMC doctrine says otherwise.  (But doctrine isn’t the point of this article.)

This is a "come as you are" church.  People wear shorts and flip flops, some dress up; everyone comes as they are comfortable.  They are known in town, and usually with a fair amount of disdain, as the church who "will take anyone."  Heh.

They don’t push membership or giving.  They trust God to lead each person in those areas.  (It must be working because they are huge and not wanting for money.)

When I walked into the sanctuary for the first time, there was a band on stage playing Aerosmith's "Living on the edge."  It was rocking.

There are stations all around the sanctuary with food and beverages.  People eat and drink *gasp* throughout the service if they wish.  It gives a picnic/fellowship/revival feel to the service.

I saw people from every walk of life.  Some were tattooed and in leather with multiple piercings, some were suburbanites, some were dressed in business attire, some families, etc.

It actually wasn’t the colorful assortment of people I noticed first.

It was the atmosphere.

Love.

Acceptance.

Family.

There were probably a thousand people in this large hall, mingling, laughing, socializing, eating, GLAD TO BE THERE.  Happy to be brought together by this one thing they all have in common.

I grew most of my faith in the Baptist Church, not just one specific church, but many across this country and abroad.  The rules might differ a little but once I learned the basics I was fairly safe from serious faux paus in the denomination.

For instance, people whispered in the sanctuary out of respect/fear of the Lord.  Eating was certainly not something we did in the “holy of holies.”  (Now of course that is a Jewish term for the temple and not a Baptist one, but it is an association I mentally made often.)   You wore only your very BEST, because God expected our first and best.  Baptism is only full immersion, anything less really doesn’t count.  If someone smokes, they never ever do it at church or intentionally let people know about their habit, etc.

There is nothing wrong with worshiping this way.  I believe each denomination has a place in the body.  I believe God can be just as present in a conservative Baptist Church as He is in a place like The Orchard.

As I watched the people of The Orchard.  I didn’t see anyone “tense” and afraid others were looking at them.  I thought to myself, once the service starts this will be chaos.  What with people eating, drinking, laughing, talking.

I was wrong.

Once the service started, most people were done eating.  They were on their feet, voices raised in unison, worshiping.  Multiple pierced, hair to his butt looking man, standing beside suburban mom and husband, agreeing in worship Jesus is Lord.  I hesitate to even put this in words because it looks so very corny on paper.  But it is what it is.

After a lot of praise and worship, the sermon started.  I expected it to be a feel good message (light use of scripture) because how can a sermon please everyone from all those different walks of life?

I was wrong about that too.  Shocking I tell ya!

The minister opened his Bible and preached directly from the scriptures.  And it was good.  Not good in an entertainment sort of way.  Good in the “And God said it is good,” kind of way.

The man preached and seemed to trust the Holy Spirit to do any convicting that needed done.  He wasn’t so much leading the service as co-leading with the Spirit.  He gave the message and left the rest to God.

As I left the cool sanctuary of the church and walked out into the scorching humid Mississippi summer, I longed for a place like this close to my home.

A place where belief is the only common denominator that counts.  No matter who you are, where you are on the path, what you are, you are family.

Come as you are.