Yesterday was so fantastic. God is so very good to me. Services started and P was going through his sermon. About fifteen minutes into it, D and M came over. That was so very cool. As soon as D came in, Mom and Dad were more animated. There was real conversation about Biblical matters and we all paid attention. D allowed P to speak and be the leader, but in his typical way, he� *shakes her head*

It�s like this� D has been a minister for a long while. He�s been called to be a teacher of God�s word. He studies and communicates his ideas and thoughts in such a way that he makes you discover the answers for yourself. When P teaches, he walks through the items he wants to discuss in a linear fashion.

D teaches in a style more fitting to my learning style. P teaches like going to a pass/fail lecture. You sit, do the time and you get the pass. For D, you have to actually do something. You have to think and communicate and share your ideas too. P starts from point A, goes to point B, then point C. D starts at point A, gives you a map with point F on it and lets you get there on your own; he�s there if you need help, but you get to discover your own road. If you don�t happen to hit point B, C, D or E, but instead find point L, D wants you to say what that point is and how you got there.

P is more interested in getting to the goal. D is more interested in how you got to whatever your goal is.

*chuckles*

I really, really get into D�s style of teaching and he brightened the room dramatically. The problem is that P noticed. And, I think P was offended. It�s like this: If you�re a teacher of a pass/fail class, doing the same thing every time and some young, popular guy your class already knows (a previous teacher) comes in with questions that make the students start thinking and responding, it requires the pass/fail teacher to think in a different way.

Our nickname for D is �Simon the Zealot�. *grins* And he has SO earned that name. His wife, M, is very sweet and soft spoken. She is silent most of the time, listening to her husband, but she isn�t ignorant. When she speaks, what she says has true value and merit and adds to the conversation.

Another difference between P and D is that D has a distinctive and easily heard voice. Some would say loud. *chuckles* P is very quiet and sedate.

For those who haven�t had much pass/fail experience, let me put this in Hollywood terms: P is Ben Stein�s character in Ferris Beuller�s Day Off, while D is Ferris Beuller. (remember Ben Stein? He was the teacher doing roll call who said �Beuller, Beuller?� and would speak on the topic for a while, ask a question and say, �Anyone? Anyone?� And when no one would answer, he�d go on and give the answer in his monotone voice.

That�s the main difference between the Church and other churches I�ve attended. The Church gave sermons which were strictly pass/fail style. A few ministers would actually get their congregations involved (not speaking and asking questions during services, but thinking actively) but for the most part, it was just a lecture. I reached a point in my life, quite a while ago, where lectures just weren�t enough for me anymore. I�m not the type of person who is cool with having someone else tell me what to think, say or do. I�d far rather have someone tell me where I�m supposed to end up and let me get there in my own, bizarre way.

That�s what D does for me. I don�t learn much in a lecture � not because there�s nothing to learn, but because my brain is lulled to sleep. I learn a lot in the �choose your own adventure� kind of situation. With D, I�m free to give my opinion and it won�t be passed off as some kid spouting off.

P does not minimize my thoughts and suggestions and ideas, but they are interruptions and those interruptions really disrupt his train of thought. For P he needs to move from one point to the next in a logical and linear fashion. Logical and linear bore me to tears because my brain doesn�t work that way. (obviously)

All of that was the extremely long and verbose way of saying that I believe D and M showing up yesterday was an answer to MY prayer yesterday morning. I also believe that because D and M will be coming Tuesday for Passover and Wednesday for Night to be Much Observed. I�m so very thrilled.

Now, Night to be Much Observed is going to be really, really interesting, because we�re going to have P, D and M (already discussed the differences between P and D) and G and N. *laughs* G is Pentecostal Christian. At least he was.

G � since I�ve not spoken about him or N before � is a local resident. He has been a contractor for years and just about six years ago was converted. He was anti-God before his conversion. This, if you haven�t been around many of these kinds of people before, makes for a very interesting change.

In many cases, those who have not had any belief in God previously, once they�re converted, they tend to go off the deep end for a while. They tend to believe that no one knows how incredible it is to be filled with the Spirit. They tend to believe that it becomes their responsibility to convert other people. And, they tend to become quite adamant that THEIR way is the ONLY way.

G was this way for quite a while. He was the kind of Pentecostal Christian who believes that if a Christian doesn�t have the gift of Tongues, they aren�t really Christian. I know that many of you, if not all, have had experience with this kind of thing. Anyway, G used to be this way. He used to nearly force people to Christianity.

I�m not sure exactly what he�s like now, because I haven�t had any dealings with him in the recent past, but it seems he may well have calmed down a little.

So, this is going to be really, really interesting.

We�re going to have Mom and Dad, who have been Christians for about 30 years, give or take. They started with the very serious, pass/fail kind of Christianity. You go to church, listen to the sermon and live a good, Christian life. You don�t ask questions, you do your own Bible Study and you pray in private � the Church was one of those that said we were the only true church and therefore everyone else was wrong. We didn�t socialize with other groups of people and having friends outside of the Church was a bad idea� they�d only lead you off the true path, etc.

Mom and Dad are now, however, Spirit filled and have graduated from the pass/fail class into one where questions are not only okay, they�re encouraged. A personal relationship with Jesus accompanies that, which gives way to power through God. It is� *frowns, searching for the right words* It is the kind of Christianity that allows the Christian to not only believe in and on God, but also allows one to truly have the Law written upon one�s heart.

I am very similar to Mom and Dad with the exception that I have been in the Church since I was about six months old � actually attending services. Mom was listening to the radio program and reading the material before I was born. Well, okay, there are two exceptions for me, first is the whole since birth thing, the second is that my learning style is � and always has been � more in tune with the asking questions thing. I�ve never done well in the lecture-style system.