Trolls, Truth and The Church - Where is God?

I love books. I will read anytime, anywhere when given the chance. Some recent events have me thinking about how people's approach to God and the Church can change how they see things. An interesting book to read about finding God in different places is Trolls and Truth: 14 Realities About Today's Truth That We Don't Want to See by Jimmy Dorrell. It is a look at what the Church should do and be in today's world. Some people feel it should be a formal place of worship, with no room for those who won't conform to society's norms. Others feel the church is compelled to help others - mission work is good, but keep it outside of the church walls. We'll come to you, then go back to our comfort zone. Others see the church working inside and outside of the church walls and see the two going hand in hand.

I am very involved in a local mission church to the homeless and quite honestly I often feel God's presence there much stronger than I do at my regular church. I attend both - the mission church does not have the children's programs I want for my family. Are there other differences between the two? Sure. At one the people in the pews are just as likely to be drunk or stoned as not. And honestly, they don't smell that great. At the other people are in their "Sunday Best" and the worst smell is the person two pews over who went a little heavy on the perfume or cologne. Most of them are not worried about their next meal or where they will sleep that night.

What about similarities? Both churches have people who are deeply committed to the Lord AND people who are still searching for Him or aren't even sure He is real. Both have people there for reasons that have nothing to do with worship - to see and be seen at the regular church, to get a free meal and stay warm and perhaps to doze in the pews at the mission church. Most important, at both God is waiting, His hand out, to invite us to walk with Him.

Walking with God doesn't guarantee an easy path, but He promises to be there with us. I have learned what an amazing promise that is. I've tried life on my own, believing in God but not walking with Him. Wasn't fun. I hit some of the lowest points of my life then. Is life perfect now that I am working to build my relationship with Him? Of course not. In fact, I have had one of the most difficult years of my life recently. But it wasn't nearly as hard knowing the Lord was with me. How awesome that He finds us no matter where we are and takes our hand no matter who we are!