Black Church, Small World

We went to one today!

Church of the Firstborn - 72 Perth Ave, Toronto

Had to share this video of Gary Owen because the first time I heard it I died laughing.

We've been invited several times to attend the church that my daughters friend attends. Umm..it's downtown Toronto. Quite a drive from home. But, after a few invites from her and her mother and not making it, we made sure to attend today. I know she was really looking forward to us coming and I was happy to finally come through for her. Her mom wasn't believing for a moment that we were going to come. But, we showed her. lol We were told that service starts at 11 so we made sure that we were there for 10:30. Good thing we did because we later found out that Praise and Worship actually starts at 10:45. And yes, just as Gary Owens mentions above, we were there for a while. Everything he says about Black Churches is kind of spot on actually. In case you've never been to one. We expected to be there longer than we are used to anyways. Furman figured that we wouldn't be finished till like 3pm. Well, they showed us...they let us out an hour earlier than we expected. Service ended at like 1:45pm although we didn't physically leave the church till after 3pm. lol Why? Well, they had snacks in an area where people got together to congregate after the service. So, we also made ourselves at home and were welcomed by many people, especially her awesome parents. We certainly weren't made to feel like visitors.

Service was lovely. Pastor Ludlow Miller had words meant just for me, considering stuff that I've been going through lately. That's just how God works sometimes. He preached from Ephesians 4:1-13. We sang songs that we were unfamiliar with (it was ok because it was like karaoke with the words on the screen for us) and we were jamming. Definitely a different flavor from our own church. But trust me, after singing a song chorus like 20 times, you learn the song. lol It was definitely a lot of standing. The seats were well cushioned but you don't get to enjoy them much. As I listened, I watched a lot. Always interested to see how other churches do things. With Olympics in mind, we noticed something that seemed to be like a prayer relay. Well, Furman noticed it actually. My head was bowed and my eyes were closed. lol But seriously. Someone started with prayer then next thing you know the mic was passed to someone else to continue and then another.... When it was time for tithes and offerings we have to go up to the front, aisle by aisle, as opposed to the usher bringing the plate to us. And..they make change. lol At least it looked like it. Don't think you have to give your entire $20 or $50 bill. lol Our little friend was on stage singing with others so she was also able to notice the few times Furman may have looked like he was nodding off. Although I have no clue how he could have because the volume was definitely high. And, Furman was able to make faces at her as she sang along with the others. hahaha

All in all, we had an awesome day. Love Black Churches. But, I don't think I could handle the drive all the way into the city every week. Yet, I certainly learned and understood why they do it. The church is family. They really are. They've been together for years and plan to stay that way. It was beautiful. I was requested to return and I definitely will plan to. I'm sure my little friend will make sure to remind us too.

Thank you Kiddo!
Wonderful girl...her momma must be proud!

I really have to tell you about how small a world it is though. 

After church service we congregated and were looking at some pictures on our friends camera from a recent trip to Punta Cana that they had taken. As they scrolled through a few pictures, low and behold guess who I saw? My sister. Yup. The one that had just gotten married. She apparently went to Punta Cana for her honeymoon and while I may not have been at her wedding, she couldn't run from the thought of me during her special time. hahaha Oh no. On the resort, they just happened to be in an area where they heard there were other Canadians around. My dear little friend noticed that my sister seemed to remind her of me for some reason. She really doesn't look like me. (Wont be posting any photos for you to compare yourself though. Sorry. lol) She is a lot lighter and taller with the same hair...but other than that, that's it i'd say. lol Same mother, different fathers. We are very very different (trust me), although I've been told we are easy to mix up on the phone. Yet, there was enough similarity for this child to wonder and have to ask. She got her answer though. My sister confirmed that this girls friend (my daughter) was indeed her niece, and I was her sister. lmao My daughters friend kind of tried to put two and two together that my sisters wedding was the wedding that my daughter recently attended. But she was wrong. My daughter hadn't been invited to my sisters wedding probably because as I previously mentioned, we have no relationship and haven't had one for years since she left my home. None between my sister and me. None between my sister and my children. So..wrong wedding. I kept my laughter of the coincidence to myself and laughed later. Imagine that! What a small world. Soo funny. It's nice to know that I was thought of whether they may have wanted to think of me or not. hahahaha

Anyways. Going to finish relaxing to end a wonderful weekend. Olympic closing ceremonies are on. Better than the opening ceremonies in my opinion. Our next Church in the City to feed the homeless is in October but my next Ladies Prayer Breakfast is in September. Furman will already be back in Miami. Ok..I gotta stop mentioning that and get that out of my mind for a while. lol That being said...i'm off...to go back to enjoying spending some more quality time with my husband. You've gotten enough of my time this evening. lol

Hope you all have a great week to come.