April 27, 2009

Church Experiment #17: Seven Hills Church

For the first time in seventeen weeks, I didn’t want to attend church on Sunday. The weather was beautiful in Cincinnati, I stayed up late Saturday night, and I really just wanted to sit on my balcony and write.

It felt like old times.

One of my biggest church complaints is that regular attendance always seems to get in the way of life. Especially when the weather is nice. It always feels more “holy” to enjoy the gorgeous day than to sit inside and mouth the words to some lame worship song. There were always a hundred other things I would rather be doing, but I showed up every week out of obligation, causing bitterness and resentment to fester in my soul. Clearly, not healthy.

This week, I couldn’t deal with an exhausting church. I half-jokingly (and half-seriously) mentioned a snake-handling church last week, but I wouldn’t have been able to deal with the ridiculousness of the whole thing. (Plus, I doubt there are any near Cincinnati.) I needed a place I could go, relax, and enjoy the show. That led me to Seven Hills Church (www.7hillschurch.tv) in Florence, Kentucky.

To finish reading about this experience or any of the reflections from my 52 visits, please purchase the full book here.