today, i was looking for somewhere to go and something to do.

so i grabbed my bible and headed west. after a few adventures, including the consumption of food at the commonly attributed time for a midday meal, lunch, i ultimately made it highway 23, a windy mountain road the leads to malibu. as i drove through the road i began to feel like a nascar driver and thinking “my dad would love this road!” then i got behind a driver who was, let’s just say, enjoying the scenery.

so back to reality.

before i knew it, i had arrived at the breathtaking spot on highway 23 where you look out amongst a mountainous terrian to see cliffs, trees, and an ocean. i had arrived. i was not as excited as one would expect because i had not planned on going to the beach. maybe if i had made that my goal earlier in the day, it could have been more satisfying. nonetheless. the beach was gorgeous. pure beauty.

i found a spot off the PCH and parked. i rolled down the windows in my car, blasting ulrich shnauss, grabbed my bible and sat on the little cliff over looking the beach.

as i read through the book of exodus, i became overwhelmed with the “rescue” aspect of God, that He “heard the cry of the oppressed.” God was doing a thing in my heart.

but that’s not the point of this story.

as i got ready to pack up and leave, i was thinking about my time on the beach, reading the bible and admiring His creation, and felt satisfied. i began to type an email to my friend while sitting at starbucks, and i just began to let my fingers run ahead of my brain. after sharing my experience via electronic mail, i looked back on what i had wrote and realized God was teaching my something else.

which is the point of this little story.

as i began to describe to my friend how satisfied had felt just simply reading the scriptures and being in His creation, i found myself laughing at the phrase “and now im heading to church!”

in my heart, i had felt i had already been to church. i thought, church, then, must be something different than the reading of Holy Scriptures and music. i had that at the beach. but, i was alone.

and suddenly i realized the importance of church in the context of “community”, rather than the traditional “song and message.”

church, especially as described in the bible, is so much more than what we expect today. the early church gathered, ate, participated in the Lord’s supper and had fellowship.

wow. what a challenge to what we expect from church today: good music, a good message. and if we don’t get those things, we respond with a negative view of church. i remember going to st. james park, in san jose, and feeding the homeless and talking with them, and hearing their stories and thinking, “this is church!”

when you think of church, what do you think about? the music? the teaching? even as i got to the worship gathering at my church, i sat alone. thought nothing of it, then a friend of mine came up to me and said “you can’t sit alone, come on!” that’s interesting. can you sit alone at church? can church be experienced alone?

God help us focus on what you want us to focus on, and let us do it together, in community with others.

I’ve read many articles and blogs all around the subject “Is God a _______ or _______?(FILL IN THE BLANK)”

possible inserts are: car, fashion, decade, etc.

i find these entertaining. here is the latest, found on one of my favorite blogs.

1. Macs are beautiful and glimmery white in their design. Christ and God are always represented as the “light of the world.” PCs are often dark. God is definitely a Mac.

2. As soon as you own an iPhone you start to feel a potpourri of pity and shame for anyone who does not own one. Someone whips out a Blackberry and you immediately, smugly think inside, “That poor person. Pushing on physical keys. The horror.” God doesn’t like that arrogance. God is a PC.

3. Apple makes real efforts to improve the planet and recycle their products. God loves that. God is a Mac.

4. Apple is notorious for rejecting apps that people try to put on the iPhone. God doesn’t reject anyone. God is definitely a PC.

5. PCs are often plagued by viruses and crashes. Much like sin, God hates that. God is definitely a Mac.

6. Mac commercials are constantly mocking people who use PCs. God hates mockery. God is definitely a PC.

7. You don’t have to learn a complicated operating system to use a Mac. You turn it on and go. Same with God. Repentance and salvation are not complex systems designed to confuse people. God’s a Mac.

8. PCs are constantly needing to be upgraded and updated with the latest software and operating systems. Just like sanctification. You are constantly changing and being renewed. God’s a PC.

9. Macs take a very holistic approach to computing. There’s iLife and iTunes and iPhone. They all work together seamlessly. Just the way God wants to be integrated into every part of our life. God’s a Mac.

10. Some people treat Apple’s Steve Jobs like he’s God in a mock turtle neck. Turns out God is not cool with that. God’s a PC.

11. Macs are very intuitive. When you want to do something, you don’t look up how to do it, you just do it. With a PC, things are often backwards. When you want to shut down for instance, you have to click “Start.” The Bible is very intuitive too. Proverbs lays out pages of simple wisdom that just makes sense. God is a Mac.

12. Macs are all about outside appearances. They look fantastic. But God cares more about what’s inside. Macs are too vain. God’s a PC.

13. Macs make music easy to enjoy. They’re more artistic and often the choice of graphic designers and photographers. God is a great fan of the arts, as evidence by the colorful sunsets and sunrises he paints each day. God’s a Mac.

14. Macs are really expensive. God’s not. He paid the cost. He paid the debt we owed to him. God’s a PC.

15. The Mac logo, an apple with a bite out of it, is reminiscent of our fall from grace in the garden of Eden and God’s forgiveness of us. God’s a Mac.

16. The Gates Foundation has given millions and millions of dollars to help people around the world. God’s all about generosity. God’s a PC.

17. Apple stores are not designed like traditional retail outlets, but are more like aesthetic sanctuaries. They’re practically consumer churches. God’s a Mac.

18. Mac is constantly teasing us with information. There is a tablet. There’s not a tablet. God, on the other hand, is much more direct with his love and purpose in our lives. God’s a PC.

at the end of the day, i believe God is mac. is this because i own a mac? it’s very probably true.