Church-hopping, Belonging and Being Born

After a recent post on Family Church, I got thinking about what makes you "fit" in a church group, what it is that lets you know you're home.

One way to belong is to be born into the group, grow up there and never go anywhere else. That would make for a family church if ever there was one! And in some cases it may be the only way to really belong. The adults are all "aunts and uncles", "grandparents" - you've played with the other kids under the pews since you could crawl. The pastor knows when you cut your first tooth and who your best friends are. You've got more surrogate parents than you can count.

Which is all good and well if you're completely happy there, and have no need of anything other than what this group provides.

But who has ever heard of a teen who didn't want to rebel against what they know, where they're safe, just to see what's out there?

Step out once or twice, and things change. You come back seeing and thinking differently, people treat you differently. Things that you were content with suddenly may not seem so grand. You're no longer a perfect fit. You still belong, but feel as if there's a gap now.

What if you aren't born into the "right" group, a family of believers who love you unconditionally and are "perfect"? What if you never really belonged anywhere? What if you're new to faith and God, and the only one in your family who is seeklng Him?

Church-hopping certainly doesn't help. Chasing that elusive something from group to group without settling in for a while and building relationships. Never giving a chance for the "feel" of the group to sink in, nor truly becoming a part of what's going on.

But if you feel a hint of it on the first try, if you catch a glimpse of what your soul longs for, then stick around, make a committment to be there long enough to get to know the people, to let them accept you and love you and get to know your in's and out's. Don't panic and run when people start getting close to you. Let them in, let yourself in to them too.

And if you do, you will find family in any group of God-lovers who are willing to show Him openly and generously.