Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Dude Abides

Home
Progressive Christian
GODSTUFF: Together in perfect imperfection at Little Church by the Sea

GODSTUFF: Together in perfect imperfection at Little Church by the Sea

Last updated on: October 26, 2010 at 8:55 pm by Cathleen Falsani

GODSTUFF: Together in perfect imperfection at Little Church by the Sea 2010-10-26T20:55:00-07:00 Cathleen Falsani

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Little Church by the Sea, Laguna Beach, California

For more than 15 years, I didn’t go to church (except for lots of visits in my professional capacity). When I was in my early 20s, the Episcopal church I attended regularly split. Factions formed, sides were taken, harsh words were spoken. A spiritual tug of war ensued and left the community in tatters. It was awful, traumatic — the worst that church has to offer.

I love Jesus and all that he told us to do and be while he walked among us in the flesh. But I no longer trusted his followers to not behave appallingly. I’d had enough of Christians shooting their own. So I left.

In hindsight, that was pretty shortsighted. We are believers, but we are also human. We stumble, fall, and drag others down with us. We wallow in our own hypocrisy and look to fellow Christians rather than the One we should emulate as the only perfect example of how to be fully human and completely faithful.

After more than a decade of lurking in the narthex, a couple of years ago I tiptoed into the sanctuary of a small Episcopal parish in suburban Chicago and found safe harbor. I was surprised to learn that this parish had suffered a split several years earlier, too. But what remained were not sharp edges and bitterness from the acrimony that had shattered the community like a cheap mirror. Instead, I found the light of God’s love refracted even more beautifully by the cracks and imperfections.

Last summer, my family relocated from Chicago to Southern California and had to leave our beloved church behind. But we found a more perfectly imperfect spiritual home here in Laguna Beach — a faith community called Little Church by the Sea. Whatever its quaint moniker conjures in your mind — a certain sweetness and humility; a groovy, laid-back, welcoming place where the pastors wear flip-flops and the worship team is a bluegrass band — is right on.

Even though the denomination to which Little Church belongs is one that, on paper at least, is an uncomfortable fit for me in some ways, the genuine love of this local church has won my heart. We are blessed with a handful of lovely, humble pastors who share the shepherding duties, and although the pastorate of Little Church is still a boy’s club, (my) hope springs eternal that that might someday change, perhaps even sooner than later.

Still, a while back, when I was perusing the Little Church website, I clicked on a link that read,”Women in Ministry,” and it took me to an error message: “Page not found.” Once upon a time, I would have been livid. Now, I find it kinda funny. Ironic. Quirky. Very us.

I have to bracket stuff like that. Every congregation I’ve ever encountered has something each member must choose to bracket, put aside and stay. Or not, and leave. And keep searching for safe harbor.

This past summer, I had a conversation with one of our pastors and his wife. She is an aging hippie — a self-described liberal and decades-old subscriber to Sojourners. He is, well, not. When the subject turned to women in ministry, the pastor’s wife, knowing that I had graduated from seminary and am an advocate of ordaining women to the pastorate, said, “How can you stand it? Why would you choose Little Church when they don’t ordain women?”

Before I could get a word out, her husband answered for me. “Isn’t it obvious?” he said, genuinely. “It’s the love.”

He was absolutely right. It is precisely the love. I would rather bracket the details and bask in the love of this community of saints than focus on what bothers me and miss out on the staggering blessings of their companionship. My family has found a safe and, yes, imperfect spiritual home in the most unlikely of places (at least for me). Being a part of Little Church has recalibrated how I see my life and how I understand my story — the one God is writing. Like an actor in a film, I merely glimpse the daily rushes and sometimes wonder whether the narrative makes sense.

But I’m not the one writing the story. That job is God’s alone. God knows the beginning, the end, and the vast middle, where we all dwell. Imperfectly. Held together in grace.

This column originally appeared in the November 2010 issue of Sojourners Magazine.

little church by the sea

Previous Post

October 26, 2010

GODSTUFF: "The Social Network" and waiting on a friend request

Next Post

October 27, 2010 GODSTUFF: Your story is our story.

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category A little happy ARCHIVED COLUMNS BECOMING FAMILY BelieberNess BREAKING NEWS! Disquiet Time DJ JEFF'S SPINTASMS falsani FILM from OCRegister From Sojo.net God Nods GODSTUFF I Take Requests incubatespirit LURKING IN THE NARTHEX On My Nightstand ONEMOMS Polling the Room PONTIFEXCELLENT Thru My Eyes TWO CENTS Uncategorized Upcoming Events VASCO VASCO'S HEART

Select a Month January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 May 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 April 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 October 2003 March 2003 December 2002 October 2002 January 2001

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What Christian holiday celebrates Jesus’ birth?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Christmas Easter Good Friday Pentecost