And so ..

And so I found myself in church today after a fitful three hour sleep on the couch at home. I was feeling good though, sitting between my uncle and youngest cousin waiting for service to begin. We're usually late, making it just in time for the last couple of songs, but thanks to the KPE, we were early, and I was just sitting there with my legs outstretched, relaxed, smiling at people I know and feeling strangely, light of heart.

Then I flipped open the bulletin and muttered "fuck". Our pastor was due to deliver the sermon for the service, and in all honesty I don't think much of him. Of course, pastors are servants of God anointed to lead the church both spiritually and physically. Or at least that's the generally accepted consensus.

Not in my church though; the previous senior pastor was for most intentions and purposes, sacked. I loved him; his heart was so obviously for the Lord that it's difficult to even think otherwise. Let's not talk about that though. And suffice to say that it's my humble opinion that the current pastor's a doofus; ambitious, conceited, presumptuous and with half the required intellect to back all of that up. Oh, and he's condescending too.

Worship was good. It warmed my heart to see my uncle raise in hands in praise to God, though Erasmus was passive as usual. Communion was a pleasant surprise; I can't remember the last time I partook of it.

And now, the sermon. If memory serves me well, the title of the sermon on the bulletin was "Life in the Spirit" but the message was more about fellowship with fellow Christians, and how to go about achieving it. The chosen scripture was Philippians 2:1-11

I started out with the intention of critiquing his sermon, with which I disagree on several points, but that would go against the very message the passage's trying to convey. So I shalln't. I shall instead, humbly refrain. Yes I'm capable, occasionally, of that.

1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same attitude of mind Christ Jesus had:

6 Who, being in very nature ^[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature ^[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.

8 And being found in appearance as a human being,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Shit. Now I've a headache. Thinking about God gives me a headache.