The Church Search Begins

After 12 years in the church of my dreams, longer than this military brat has ever stayed anywhere, I'll soon begin the search for a new one in a new town.

I want a church that takes Scripture as seriously as I do. On those issues in which the Bible speaks clearly, unambiguously, I want a church that will take a dogmatic stance despite cultural tides. I've got low tolerance for flakiness.

What is hard to find is a church that takes a firm stance on the unquestionables without taking a dogmatic stance on those issues in which Scripture leaves room for disagreement.

Seriously, there are some ministers who, if asked, could come up with a 45-minute sermon on what the Bible has to say about wearing purple (or where my child should sleep). I guess that's better than the response of the typical mainline Protestant minister these days, who might say something like, "Purple. What is purple? The answer is different for everyone." But neither answer satisfies me. I want a minister who will send me to Romans 14.

I don't care what people wear, who goes there (well, believers would be good), how many people go there (though my husband wants small), or whether there are guitars or an organ. I do want a Sunday service that includes Scripture readings, a creed, intercessory prayer, confession, substantive lyrics in its praise, and a sermon.

Really, the best fit for us is Anglican, but the only one close to us will be 30 minutes away.

I don't know where we'll end up. But I'm confident God has something good in store. From the first time I prayed about leaving this city, I have prayed that God would send us to the place where we will best worship Him.

SOLD

Well, sort of. We're under contract.

Do you know what this means? I don't have to keep my house clean anymore. That's more exciting than the equity we're about to get. Oh, and they want my crappy washer and dryer. That means I'm getting the front-loader of my dreams!

Blame it on Spitzer

I dreamed that my husband was frequenting a prostitute. Do you know what really upset me? They were going to the movies together. How dare he go to the movies while I sit at home with Peter, having not gone to a movie in over two years!

It's not that we don't do sitters. Peter has been easy to leave since he was 18 months old. But we can't really afford to leave him unless it's for something big... So when you consider how much the movies cost these days... and how much the sitter costs... Suddenly it's $100 to go see Harry Potter. Or whatever it is people are seeing these days. (Really, what are people seeing these days?)

Maybe we'll take in a movie next time we go to visit the grandparents.

My "New" Blog

"It's common for mothers to begin yearning for another infant sometime around their child's first birthday."

When I read that in a parenting book, I laughed out loud. Such is life with Peter. But around his second birthday... Well, let's just say I have a new blog:

http://marthaspregnancyjournal.blogspot.com/

E.R. discovers the flaw of post-modernisem

Nebulous religion is ultimately cruel.