Craig Live

That time has come once again. That time late Saturday night where I decide to go to church Sunday morning.

Ever since I've lived in Birmingham (approaching 9 years), I have never attended a church I absolutely loved. Some have been better than others, but I can't recall leaving church Sunday morning thinking "that service was just awesome."

Even after attending church services my friends consider awesome, I would rate them mediocre at best.

Not to criticize their church, but no church here has really captivated me. I'm not sure if that says more about me or the churches, but I feel as if I've come to a dead end in my church hunt.

It might just be me being a cynic by nature, but there also hasn't been a pastor I've loved hearing. Not to argue that I could do a better job, but I simply find most pastors here boring. I understand that a pastor's job isn't to entertain people for an hour, but they could entertain maybe just a little while?

The last worship experience I fairly enjoyed actually had a good pastor. It just lacked everything else.

About fifty people were in attendance for this particular service, and although the pastor was very friendly, he was the only person I would consider friendly.

I consider myself a friendly guy, and I made an attempt to meet some people in their college ministry that morning. It was a weak attempt, but it wasn't because I didn't try. I met alot of people, but nobody went out of their way to be friendly in return. I felt like the new kid at Hoover High being just another face in their crowd.

It's not that I aspire to be talked to or noticed, but I felt like the only member at church that morning trying to make fifty other people feel welcomed. Had a few more people taken that time to be friendly with me that morning, I would go back in a heartbeat. But for now, I think of them as the church where nobody took a few minutes to make a visitor feel welcome.

I've visited a countless number of churches in my years here, and I'm adding one to the list tomorrow morning (assuming the girl I'm going with can wake up tomorrow morning). I'm eager to visit this new church with her because she built it up to be a great place, but it wouldn't be the first time I'm disappointed with a church with a great reputation.

If she can't make it up, I suppose I'll be busy being a social butterfly watching Joel Osteen on TV while eating Corn Pops.

In other words, SHE MUST WAKE UP.