"I've not been to church before what do I have to do...?"

My heart was pounding my mouth was dry. I was in an aisle in the supermarket that I rarely feel the need to venture -Female Hygiene.

Minutes earlier I was leaving the house simply to buy an innocuous pint of milk and bread - but then Kate called out with a request. I probably need to explain that my childhood was dominated by older brothers and a menopausal mother - 'women's things' weren't to be found in the house!
"I find the aisle then I stand in front of a myriad of choice - this is getting painful."

I walk to the supermarket repeating in my mind what my mission entailed. It couldn't be that difficult surely. I find the aisle then I stand in front of a myriad of choice - this is getting painful. Finally I stretch and make a selection surreptitiously sticking it in the basket under the milk and bread, pay and walk home.

Stupid!

Walking home in palpable relief I think back to a conversation that I had with someone who came to church the other week. I think back to his discomfort, his shifting nervousness, his bobbing throat with a bouncing knee tick - "what do I-I do? I've not been to church before w-w-what do I have to do...?" How'd we manage to make the image of church something so alien that people feel like I do when I am in the Female Hygiene aisle?

Comments

BrownEyedGirl said…
I am catching up on blogger after our commissioning weekend. I can not imagine why no one comment on this! It is well written! Maybe you made them uncomfortable. ;)
I think we forget how uncomfortable people can feel coming to church. New experience or not- traditional or untraditional, people deep with in know that something is expected of them. Sometimes it is human expectations and other times it is the reality that God is there.
I can't get my husband to go down that asile! But with 4 daughters sooner or later he will have to get over this fear.
1:15 PM
Gordon said…
woah - 4 daughters! 2 is a challenge :o)
6:20 AM
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