For the past few months I have been visiting churches. On my last few visits, my fiancée Lis, visited with me. When we leave each church, we debrief on what we like and dislike about each church.  Some churches are too loud, some are too quiet. Some are too old, some are brand new. Some have really great choirs, sometimes the music makes me cringe. Some preachers leave me breathless while others leave me rolling my eyes. Some pastors are super young with tons of energy, and other pastors are old, comfortable and stale. Some congregations are smart, others are not so smart. Sometimes I am profoundly moved by sermon, sometimes sermons feels clichéd and unhelpful. Very rarely do either of us find ourselves compelled to visit the same church twice.

This past Sunday, Lis asked me what I did and did not like about this latest church. After I had run down both lists, she asked me what I would need before I felt completely good with a church. As I started to run down that list, I became more and more disheartened. The thought dawned on me that I’m probably not going to find a church that satisfies even a majority of my wish list. Maybe a church is not the community that I should be looking for?

Maybe a church won’t even meet the expectation/need that I have in a spiritual community.  Maybe I should be looking for some else, something more.

This new iteration of Life in the Middle Lane is dedicated to building a spiritual community that begins where the church leaves off. Maybe for you, Life in the Middle Lane IS church. Or maybe it’s just a fun, fulfilling, and energizing place to be. Either way, I am happy to see you, and I hope you come back real soon.  :-)