Quickie: Pushing Past and Showing Up

So I went to church today...It's been 5 months since I last felt a need to go. I've been tired of "business as usual", of the sit down, stand up, sing, pray, offering structure because connecting with God communally is SO much more than that. And I've said that to the people I trust when we talk about God and my faith walk.I have this friend who's a new-ish friend and he's pushing me. Moreso than that, he heard me. He heard all of my frustration and pain and pissed offedness and is being the Church to me. Which is why I felt I could trust to worship with him when he invited me to his church. And I know I could take his word when he said today would be a day where I could experience God differently. And I did.I sat in a theater sanctuary sipping tea and spoke and scribed what it means to be present and work towards reconciliation. I was bare with people who too were hurt and that gave them the ability to show me their scars too. Because this is what we do or at least possess the ability to do as the people professing the grace of the God man from Nazareth. We can choose to empty ourselves with strangers so that we can be more filled with that grace.It was hard and I was nervous but I'm grateful that the presence of such a beautiful person in my life gave me the encouragement to show up.