The "Sunday Night Curse"

I do not have a terribly great track record when it comes to evening church services. You see, my church usually has just a morning service, so I sometimes visit a couple churches in the evening. The "problem" is that there is usually something special happening during the service, making it hard to tell what a "normal" service is like. There may be a Confession of Faith. Maybe a baptism, introducing new church officers, perhaps a guest minister. Or maybe you'll get to hear all about the youth group's short-term mission trip to help a Katrina-affected neighborhood. (If you are really fortunate, you happen to hear the report from both the team in 2006 and in 2007!) For a while, the "curse" was dormant and I would hear "normal" services wherever I went. Tonight I visited one of my "evening favorites" and had a very different, special service. The curse, I fear, may be back.

For all that, I don't mind having flexibility at nighttime. I can "skip" second service, as really, I've gone to what my church has offered that day! Or I can visit different churches and not only see different friends, but be reminded that even though a church operates differently from my own, they are still good, solid churches. It's just a little awkward at times when somebody introduces themselves and asks, "Are you looking for a new church home?" and I then reply, "No, my church normally just has one service in the morning, so I sometimes visit other places at night." A dumbstruck "Oh" is often heard, followed by a rushed "Glad you could be with us!". (Thankfully, I have had people who understand that predicament and even met one couple at Harvest OPC that are members at a different church, but they go to Harvest at night because their church doesn't have an evening service.)

I have promised several co-workers I will attend a PRCA church someday, as probably half, if not more, of the workforce belongs to that denomination. (One even spent dinner figuring out which church I would know the most people at, and which minister wouldn't bore me the most!) I fear that when I visit there, the curse will extend the service to an unprecedented 5 hours, thus cementing my legacy in the Grand Rapids area as "the one who causes evening services to be weird and different."