Shopping and Church

I skipped church yesterday (Sunday) and went to the grocery with Marissa instead. We went east to Beckton (last stop on the DLR line) to Asda. I will complain because it’s part of the Wal-Mart family and I prefer not to shop there out of principle. However, this is easy to get to and the prices are really really good. Buying everything for 1-2 weeks worth of breakfast, lunch and dinner for only 55 GBP is great – especially considering how much more expensive it was when I’d shop with Gwen at Marks & Spencer, or even Sainsbury's. The food is fresh and there is a wide variety. Thank goodness Marissa has lived in this area for nine months, and has family and friends here, so she can show me all this stuff!

We got to the store at ten, only to realize it didn’t open until 11. So, we decided to take a walk. On one of the bus stop maps, it indicated a ‘ski slope’ to our right. We didn’t see anything besides a lot of shrubbery and something which could resemble a slope as it wasn’t even tall enough to be a hill. Bizarre.

When we got back at 10:45, we saw the doors were open. It seems to be popular here for stores to open 30 minutes early “for browsing” but you cannot buy anything until official opening hours. Weird.

As for skipping church, not a big deal today as I was busy all morning, then continued to organize my place (I think it’s all set now). But, few weeks ago I didn’t go and felt out of sorts all day. It was like what Quinn (Old South assistant minister) wrote in the UCC’s daily devotional a few weeks ago. He wrote about Cain settling in the Land of Nod (Gen 4:1-16) and a story about a man not knowing what to do on the weekends, until he started going to church. (Nod means ‘wandering’) That Sunday, it was as if my day never got started and my weekend never had closure. I basically wandered from movie to movie on TV, and from website to website. Granted, I know that sometimes a body needs to sleep in and recuperate, but I wonder to what expense?

A few weeks ago, I met the assistant minister at the American Church in London for lunch. It was a nice get to know each other session and I wonder if they do that with all potential new members? (No, I do not have plans for joining as I want to keep my membership at Old South). At lunch, she asked me what I’m looking for from the church and I was completely caught off guard by that question! What else was there to say besides: meaningful sermons, good music, and fellowship? I mean, really, why else does one go to church?