I live a block away from my church. I've lived a block away from the church for over sixteen years. But I waited nearly seven year before I went in. Why?
Because it was a bread box church.
Huh?
I know...but look at it.
No steeple.
What church has no steeple?
What happened to that little ditty we used to say when I was a kid?
"Here's the church,
Here's the steeple.
Open the door,
Here are the people!"
I know. Pathetic. Pathetic that I wouldn't go into a church, my parish church, because it is just a big, rectangular building sans steeple. It reminded me of a giant bread box. I couldn't get past the wrapping for the longest time. I assumed it would be as boring and 'boxy' on the inside as it was on the outside.
It reminds me of last Christmas and my gift to my brother, Al. He lives in the Midwest, so after carefully and lovingly finding his presents, I had to find a box in which to ship them. In the name of "Reclaim-Restore-Recycle" I found the perfect box - reusing a box from a purchase I'd made a few months earlier.
On Christmas night I called Al to see if he liked his presents. He and his family were just finishing dinner and he was thrilled that I'd called at the right moment: "Your timing is perfect!" he said. "Your niece is just getting ready to do the dishes! She's been waiting for this moment all day!"
Huh? I assumed it was my brother's typical cynical humor. Doing the dishes at Christmas dinner sounded torturous - especially for a teenager!
"She can't wait to open the gift you sent!" Al explained (facetiously).
"Really? She didn't open her gifts this morning?" I was really confused.
"You remember what you sent, right?" Al sounded a bit more tentative now.
"Uh...no...I'm not sure what we're talking about, Al" I racked my brain, trying to figure out what he was talking about.
"The dish rack and drain," Al announced which great enthusiasm!
Oh, my. Al was talking about the reclaimed< > recycled box I'd sent with his presents in! He'd never opened the box with the gifts I'd so carefully picked out and sent him! He thought I'd forgotten him!
He was wonderfully surprised and excited (and my niece was relieved!).
That's what my 'bread box church experience was like.
Once I got beyond the packaging and opened the doors of the Church - it was like an unexpected gift at Christmas!
I love my bread box church. It's full of wonderful gifts that I cherish in my life. And it's taught me to look beyond the outside. To have courage to open the doors and go inside - whether we're talking about new places, new people, new experiences. You might just be surprised! (a little relieved!)
