Or an evening service on Sunday.
Once, on a ski trip to Winter Park, I went to a small church in tabernash,co on a Sunday evening.
If a saucer had landed in the parking lot and a grey had walked in, the looks would have been similar!
(You don't get many 'visitors' in the evening service!)
Anyway, they warmly welcomed me as I told them I was just there to worship along with them.
It was a great time, and them folks felt like family.
Yep, I’d visit an evening service as well and have. Generally the faithful show up there as well. I have learned there’s almost always a “core” of people present Wed. and or Sunday night.
Ha! There was one church I went to on a Sunday evening. A sad lot they were indeed, but blind to it. Even the Pastor failed greatly. Preaching about them being a “light to the community” and yet there attendance hadn’t increased in five years!
During the bible study the people asked the Pastor his opinion and he consistantly put the question back to them. It was obvious not only was the Pastor not prepared but he didn’t care one iotta about the study itself. Going thru the motions says it about right.
On very rare occassions the Lord will move us to speak up, and Oh did I resist! But He always wins out.. I stood when the Pasotr asked me for comment...(a stranger no less).. and basically told the Pastor he had not done his homework and what evidenced this as so. Further saying you cannot be a light to the community until your own lights are on, mentioning the attendance etc. etc. etc. etc.
I was stunned I think more than those who heard the words I was speaking. But once I sat down the Pastor dismissed them..a lady next to me came over in tears thanking me as she had been praying someone would come and do exactly what had just occured...the Pastor came up to me and stated..”Who are you!”....and we spoke quite frankly of the condition not only of his church, but of himself as well.
Now Elsie this is not at all the norm for me and yet I knew this was the Lord just the same. I learned later there was further discussion among the people and they were getting down to business with the things of God.
So yo u never know how things are going to go when you enter a church. Sometimes he takes us there to have a word given..not just to hear.