Went to Woodlawn for church today. I think since I can't get a regular ride to Harvest, I might as well stick to Woodlawn, where I can go every week. I do want to settle down in a church and get to know the people and serve. Today's service was really interesting, I must say. The church is not as stiff as I had thought it tp be. But then I give that today was the first 'real' (i.e. typical) service I had attended and the sermon really got me paying attention to it. I suppose I miss the intellectual gravity of sermons. Harvest has a part that I need, the communial gatherings, but the sermons there, as expected, focuses more on the practical and "self-living" part of a Christian's development. Both mind and action are important, but unsually only one is the better aim in a church. To think, the church that I would have attended regularly was right on campus. The pastor, Peter Jonker, preached about Paul's shipwreck. Naturally, as with all Luke or Acts sermons, I get kinds cocky :S and start thinking of all I've learnt in BK class (yes, guilty as charged, but those classes were a turning point in my spiritual life). The sermon: the shipwreck was not only a narrative, but also had symbolism in it. NOw, I knew all about the, the narrative part, and the pastor added in the meaning for life living to it: the storm, aften used as an analogy of tulmult in life was there. He talked about how in the end, what is important in life is not status, plan, nor...hmm, one more point which I cannot recall now (drat). When a storm hits in our lives (as with the actual storm in Paul's journey to Rome), all onboard were human beings, fellow human beings, not high-ranking captain or centurion or soldiers or lowly prisoners. Paul, a prisoner, ended up helping to guide the ship to safety and to give courage to the sailors who did listen. The plan they had, instructions they were given before they set sail were tossed to the wind as the storm rained upon them. The only one plan that never did change was the promise that God has given to Paul long before, that he would go before Caesar, thus, reach Rome alive. God gave Paul hope again amidst the storm with words that reiterated the promise and also promised the safety of the lives of all onboard the ship. And that plan stood and came to pass. One scene that stood out was the meal that they had while the sea raged around them. "Keep up your strength" seems to echo here. As Jesus faced His final storm on Earth, He too broke bread, so Paul seems to symbolically follow here. It seems to me like a calm, a peace that passes all understanding had entered when all else is uncertain and raging. It is comforting to me to know God is there no matter what and even when I lay down, it's ok.