One day, One preacher, two churches

Today we went to church. Our Pastor, Jim, was preaching at our sister church and we went to hear him there. I came from a Caucasian congregation on the west side of Cleveland. I don't know exactly how it originated but we have a sister relationship with a African American church on the east side. We have over the years done Lenten studies and pulpit switches. And for reasons unknown to me as to why Jim was preaching at Affinity.

Jim is a very gifted preacher and in the weeks of searching for churches we have all missed hearing him speak. The kids, who had never really heard anyone else, have realized how blessed we were to have him. So when the opportunity arose to hear him again, we went.

Although we have ceased regular Sunday morning worship at our church, we have a pot luck for a time of fellowship and a message every second Sunday evening. So we went there too. It was nice to see the people who were there - and to hear Jim preach again (yes it was a different message) But it also felt very odd to be back. I won't say that we have made a total break with that congregation but mentally we really don't belong there any more either. The hard part is that as of yet we don't belong anywhere else either.