One big, happy family?

Today I was escorted out of the main sanctuary in church because I had a baby with me. When I gave the attendant a quizzical look his response was, "You know, to cut down on distractions in the service."

He then proceeded to lead me to the "family room", which doubled as a cafe. He said I could watch the service from the plasma screens posted in the cafe. People all around were munching on food, drinking coffee, talking amongst themselves and a hula class was happening in the courtyard located directly behind the screens. Talk about distracting...

Anyway, as the attendant left me there on my own, I started crying. I was crying because I had been looking forward to going to church all week. I desperately wanted to worship with a church family. I wanted to sing loudly, pray together and sit next to someone who didn't need their diaper changed. For one hour out of the week, I didn't want to worry about unpacking our house, or cleaning laundry or finding ways to sneak veggies into my daughter's diet.

But I was told I could not take part in that.

I was heartbroken. After crying for a bit all by myself, I tried to justify what had happened to me. I tried to understand it. I tried to tell myself that I shouldn't let it get to me.

But that's not true. It's okay, and even right that I'm angry about the way I was treated. I don't think that Jesus would be happy with anyone being asked to leave his sanctuary because someone thought they were a distraction. Wasn't that one of those "learn the hard way" lessons taught to the disciples? How are we still making that same mistake today?

I hope I never make someone feel the way I felt today. I hope that I am never so self-focused that I think that something I do will decide if someone does or does not come to a relationship with Christ. From what I've understood about the scriptures, they way to bring someone into a relationship with Christ is to love them like Christ. And I don't know about you, but I serve a BIG God, an AWESOME God. And if he wants a relationship with someone in that sanctuary, a crying baby isn't going to stop his Spirit from moving in their hearts.

Thankfully, neither will a pharisaical church, which is my one hope for the person who was seeking God at that church today.

Maybe it was the single mother I met in the nursing room. She stayed in there because it was quieter and she could listen to the sermon and take notes. I hope she connected with Christ today, despite being exiled from worshipping with a church family. I pray even harder that she finds a family that will accept her and her daughter rather than shoving them into a nursing room so they don't distract others.