Woo Hoo

OK, don't want to get ahead of myself here, but I think I may have found a church in LA that I would actually relish going back to a second time. I was having lunch with friends from Berkeley yesterday, lamenting that I seemed to be nearing the end of my church search prospects, and mentioning that I wouldn't mind finding a church where a few cynical people hung out (remember, I like to call them 'hopeful realists'). My friend mentioned that her cousin had been going to Pasadena Mennonite Church. I think the Mennonites have ties to the Amish, but there was nary a buggy in sight. And here are five reasons why I'll be going back:

1. It was small (maybe 50 people?), and the woman in front of me turned around after the service and said, "I've never seen you before, have I?" and then proceeded to talk to me for 5 minutes and remember my name later.
2. She turned out to be an ethics professor.
3. They're big on social justice, and they're not theologically wishy-washy (because I've become theologically wishy-washy of late and while I'm sorting through all that I need to remember there might be something more constant than my personal opinion out there).
   
4. There were nerds, hippies, and punks present -- and not a small amount of polar fleece.
5. Someone invited me out to lunch afterwards.
6. They sang off-key.