Waco & Pesky Denominations

Team Ice vs. Team Brooks

Today has concluded a fabulous weekend spent in Waco with our good friends, Whitney & Estebaan Ice. We took a [very] long overdue trip to visit them and had a fabulous time, of course. Funny how much fun you can have when you carve out time from your “super busy” schedule. They’re great friends and we miss them being around.

Estebaan is one of the most randomly knowledgeable person we know, and the most naturally talented person we’ve ever met. He could literally do anything he wanted to.

Whitney is super fun, very passionate, a great listener, a killer competitor, and a fabulous cook. She also has a puppy (Kate) that I really want, so I guess she’s a little greedy too since she’s keeping Kate for herself instead of giving her to me.

Too bad we’ll never get to visit them again since I managed to spill my entire plate of food (specifically Italian – think marinara sauce) on Friday and my entire drink on Saturday on their carpet. Sorry, Ices.

Estebaan and Taylor are like peas in a pod somehow, and it’s fun when they’re together. Taylor doesn’t laugh out loud at that many people, but he belly laughs when he’s with Estebaan.

On Saturday, the boys could think of nothing more fun on the weekend we visited than to get their hair cut together, so Whit and I bettered our appearances also by going to the nail salon. When we picked the boys back up after their visit to Sports Clips, well… we laughed very hard for a very long time. Exhibit A:

Apparently cutting hair straight and even is optional at the Sports Clips in Waco. Those poor boys thought they were so good lookin’ after their groomings, but the longer we inspected the terrible cut jobs, the more hilarious the situation became. It made for a great memory.

We watched the Rangers beat the Yankees, ate breakfast at a delicious eatery, got drenched while trying to look at the Baylor bears, spun tops (that were apparently faulty), failed at Spades, bought Taylor fancy jeans, argued about ethics of getting hair re-cut, bought dog beds and coffee at HEB, and worshiped at church together. I think it was a success.

Pesky Denominations

We went this morning to the Ice’s church and it was pesky, but not for the reasons you may think.

I once heard an illustration about how we (and different denominations) view God. Actually, I have no idea if that’s what this illustration was saying, but since this is my blog I can use whatever analogy I want out of context. Suckers.

Imagine we’re all standing in the dark with a giant elephant in the room (not metaphorical for something uncomfortable – think actual elephant). Someone asks you to describe to them what the elephant looks like. Since it’s dark and you can’t see, you can only use touch to deduct what this creature is.

One person touching the tail is going to describe the elephant a completely different way than someone near the tusk, or the ear. Because no one can see the animal firsthand, they all have different viewpoints.

Such is the church. She is made of many beliefs, many ideas, many cultures, many people, many views of God. Just because she is different depending on the denomination, area, or culture does not mean that we cannot learn from her. We can see a different side of God, of Jesus, of the Holy Spirit from being around other religions and denominations. Have you ever considered that the church down the street may have something to teach you about Jesus? That they may have a new way for you to think about your favorite verse? That they may have a different spin on praying, or reading, or worshiping?

Although the gospel is unchanging, we are ever-changing. We are ever learning, ever evolving, becoming more like Christ. Sometimes those pesky denominations down the street that we have a history of avoiding can teach us a lot about God. Sometimes it’s less about how you or I feel about this one specific chapter and verse and more about falling deeper in love with Jesus.

Side note: if you’re in Waco, I’d highly recommend Harris Creek Baptist Church. They have good coffee, among other things. Also, ask for Whitney and Estebaan Ice. I heard something about “lunch is on them”…