Last week I did something I never really thought I would do. I attended the Sojourner Mennonite Fellowship for the first time and I would have to say I was pleasantly surprised.

I’ve always known that music is an important part of why people pick the churches they go to. I’ve been through something like 8 different churches and every one has grappled with the issue of traditional vs. contemporary music (if it can be so easily defined and put into black and white terms).

I was pleasantly surprised to find that, even though hymns were used primarily in Menno, they tended to be very uniquely written and redone versions of hymns (or in some cases, more traditional versions).

The service was simple and consisted of a lot of singing. However, the songs weren’t ‘prescribed’ by a worship leader or already thought out. As the service progressed, anyone that was there was able to choose a song to sing that may have had to do with the verses being read. Prayer was very open and I didn’t feel obligated to pray but I felt like if I had really wanted to, I could. One of the things that bothers me most when I’m in religious places and taking part in religious activities (mostly sunday school) I often times feel like I’m being pressured to pray out loud, when I often times don’t think that’s what I’m best at. I’m plenty willing to toss out prayer requests but when I pray out loud I feel like what I’m saying is not very sincere. I know that when I pray out loud in larger groups, I tend to try and formulate my responses to fit the ways that other people pray out loud. I have a very personal way of talking to God and I don’t think it would come across the right way when speaking out loud in a group of people.

After prayer we went into more singing and eventually the service ended with the ‘congregation’ of the fellowship putting together care packages for refugees or those who have had to leave their homes for some reason. The packages consisted of just a few hygiene necessities and a few thing that are just nice to have around (ie. toothbrush, toothpaste, nail clippers, soap, towel). This was probably my favorite part of the “service”. I’ve always wanted to go somewhere where I felt like I was really helping people outside of the church. It’s one thing to donate money to the church and trust that the church will send it where they say they will. It’s a completely different thing to physically work for others. I really felt like I was doing something to help (never mind that the towels seemed damp and one of the toothpaste tubes leaked all over the place).

Over all, it gave me a very different view of what a Mennonite fellowship can actually be like. I supposed I’ve had a very different and more up-tight view of Mennonites up until now. I realize this probably isn’t a “typical” Mennonite fellowship…but then again, I’m not sure I would know a “typical” one if I saw it.

Not to sound like every other college student in the world, but I also appreciated the later starting time of the “service”. I don’t want to say that it made church easier to “fit into my schedule”…but honestly, it did make me feel more awake and alert. I felt like I was much more a part of the service than I usually am in the morning. Sometimes I feel like I’m going to fall asleep and I didn’t feel that way because I was very well woken up by then.

All in all, I really liked Menno and I see why there are so many students that go. It was a very small and intimate yet non-pressuring service. Everything was simple down to the building that we met in.

In other news, this next week is finals week. I took my first final this morning for Adolescent Psych and I think I did decently. I had a 92 in the class so hopefully even if I don’t do as well as I hoped, it won’t pull my grade down too well. I’m so glad I’ll get the extra one point added to my grade for having perfect attendance. =)

I have a 97 in adolescent literature and I’ll hopefully be able to keep that grade or something similar with this next essay. I’m so happy that I’ve been able to hold up my grade in that class the whole semester. I am sad, however, because I think if I don’t do well in my English Lit. class, I’ll end up having to have that 97 even out my grade just to keep my GPA as it is. I hope that’s not the case but this English Lit. final isn’t looking very promising. Please pray for me!!!

I can’t wait until I’m finished with this semester. I’ve really enjoyed it…but I’m exhausted.