Natalie in LA LA LAND

I love my church!



I went to the Saturday night service because I have to work in the morning; it is very little like a regular Sunday service. Although, to be honest very little about this church is regular.



Most people I've met have an experience of Christianity that is something akin to a scene from Borat. To be fair, I've had my share of those experiences as well. Still, I have always seen God as an all loving being. Someone who loves us unconditionally, so much so that He won't interfere with our free will and lets us make mistakes and go through trials so we can grow stronger.



And at the LA Dream center they really take that to heart. The love is palpable when you enter the St Angelus Temple. Nothing stuffy about it. In fact you might be confused when you enter as to whether this is a church or a concert center.



It is so strange in that regard, so different, that I was thrown completely off guard. ...Still am... Tonight felt like a dream, yet it was real.



You know when you see something amazing on YouTube and you want to tell all of your friends about it so they can see how amazing it is too, and you publish the link on MySpace and Facebook and Blogspot and everywhere else you can, and you tell everyone to go look at it, and when you are with a friend and near the computer you pull it up and show them? That's how I feel about this church. I want everyone I know to go with me and see how cool church can be. Come see how much fun church can be. See it doesn't have to be stuffy. See how loving these people are? This is why I'm a Christian.



I cannot begin to express how much...no wait I can: It's like LOST, for those of you who follow it, when you hit a cliff hanger and you have no idea how you can possibly make it through the week to see what happens next. I've been going to church for my whole life and I have never wondered, "when can I go back? Do I really have to wait until Sunday?" but I do, now. And I have a really hard time leaving after service. I leave because I can't find an excuse to stay but I'm looking for one.



Part of this is being here alone. Part of this is going without my Parents. I think a big part of why I needed to move here is so I could start going to church without them. So i can be myself. I am an imperfect person and I really feel like belong to this misfit croud that attends church here. No judgement. No guilt. Only Love.



So tonight I remembered what that woman looks like that I'm trying to be: Loving like Christ.