More than a Workout

Hello!

I wanted to share about my day Sunday. Back story: I am a member of a fitness center in my neighborhood and try to go at least 3 times a week. It started out as just a personal desire to stay fit, then it became a way for me to work toward goals like running a 5k, then it became a way for me to feel connected with my community. I meet some really cool people there. I don't know a lot of them super well, but would like to get to know them better in the next 5 months. They are all very friendly and it's a great feeling to be able to go somewhere where people recognize you, greet you by name, and ask how you are. It's like you belong there. It's a pretty big deal for me to feel like I belong in my community, and I love the feeling of belonging I get by just being a active (punny!) member at the fitness center!

I met this guy there named Leroy. He's pretty intimidating at first, a big 6 ft 6 African American man with big muscles, but what do ya know he and I became friends! I see Leroy quite often at the FC and he has invited me to church several times. We've had some interesting conversations about church. He is a member of a Church of Christ in the neighborhood and somehow we got to talking one day. He seems to have the perspective that the C of C is the only true church, that it existed long before the catholic church even. I don't really like how that view diminishes other churches and believers but will respectfully agree to disagree.

Anyway so I went to his church Sunday night. I arrived about 5 minutes before the service was to start and walked  into the sanctuary not realizing that there was a meeting going on. Oops. The only people in the room were middle-aged black men. I walked in and started desperately searching for Leroy while all heads turned in my direction and a couple of men asked "can we help you young lady?" Haha. Thankfully Leroy was there and he escorted me out of the "brother meeting" I had accidentally interrupted.

The service was good, I enjoyed it. It was very different and not totally in my comfort zone haha but it was a very good experience. The songs were sung a Capella. Not the neat, ridiculously good a Capella like at some (Mennonite) churches I have been to but it was more vivacious and free-spirited! It was great. The first song was "I'm in a gloryland way" and it was so fun! I love me some good ole gospel, it is good for the soul. If you need a little gospel pick-me-up, click here and let the Statler Brothers sing your blues away!

The preacher spoke with a loud, unrestrained style that reminded me of MLK since he put so much passion and fire into the words he shared. It made me wonder what his blood pressure was! Now, this was slightly intimidating to little Clarissa. I come from a very quiet family in which we pretty much never yelled at home let alone at church! So it was very different but kind of exciting.

Afterward, I started to feel kind of proud of myself for going to this church in the first place. A few years ago I don't think I ever would have done something like this on my own. I guess I'm finally starting to grow up!

Thanks for reading!