Heading to church

A great way to meet  new people is to join a church.  Living in the middle of the Bible Belt gives us a plethora of choices.  Not wanting to join a Holy Roller congregation, I thought we could try the small Catholic church next door to the post office.  We got there a few minutes before 9 AM and there were cars overflowing the parking lot, many with out-of-state plates.  We found a seat and settled in.  Not knowing all of the traditions and responses, I just winged it.

I knew we had chosen correctly when the pastor announced it was his first day and he was sorry he missed the confession that morning.  Father James is a pleasant young fellow and had a great story to tell.  He was an engineer working for the military.  The base was having a hard time finding a permanent pastor and he prayed that one would be found soon.  During one of his prayers God spoke to him and said he should become a priest.  Father James said "God, you must have me mixed up with someone else, I am an engineer and I love my job."  Even though he did not mention this conversation to anyone else, little old ladies kept coming up to him to tell him he would make a wonderful  priest.

He went on a trip to Rome and told God that if the Pope told him he should go into the clergy, then he would go. Of course, he never got close to the Pope.  He went sightseeing around the city and ran into a Bishop who told him, "You should become a priest."  He went back home and applied to the seminary and ten years later, here he is.

What I like about this church is they have activities such as pot luck dinners, yard sales and picnics. This reminds me of the Methodist Church I went to growing up.  I'm not sure it will work out between us, but I am going to give it a try.  If not, there are 78 more churches to choose from.