I am visiting the church where the Zelasnys attend. I wanted to see what this church is like, and this is my last Sunday in Nebraska. I somewhat regret not seeing one of my friends at my regular church today - he has been away at a summer camp most of the summer and is newly back in town - but other than that nothing is really at my "home" church to keep me there this weekend.
I was somewhat hoping the Zelasnys would not notice me here - I don't want to be perceived as obsessively following Zelda around. But, as she has an attachment with this assembly, I thought it was worth investigation. That word is perhaps a bit too fierce for this context, but Lexy's not giving me anything better.
I did, again, choose my seat via intuition/inspiration; I stood at the back of the sanctuary and waited for the place to jump. It is where I am now. The Zelasnys hadn't arrived yet - which I suppose is/was a bad thing for one who didn't want to be seen (for they would survey the pews in search of a place to sit, if they did not have "assigned" seats) - and I began to regret wearing my loud yellow Hawaiian shirt today. They sat five pews ahead of where I am, and there are empty spaces in the pews between us. So I have a good view of Zelda. This reminds me very much of times I have sat behind another family at my church in Texas. The worship environment is different, though. Personally I must say that I didn't really find it so moving as the contemporary music other churches use. It wasn't nearly so lengthy, either. But, ah, well. They also did the "audience all read this prayer of confession" thing they did at my father's girlfriend's church in Santa Barbara. I wondered if this were a Presbyterian thing, but I have thrown out the program from that church - or it is in my other Bible - and so I can not tell if that was a Presbyterian church as well.
But I have become distracted. Let me return. It is nice to watch someone from behind. I am not sure if they (particularly she, but if another noticed I assume they would have told her) know I am here or not. In any case, I can pretend she does not realize I am watching her, for the moment. It is nice.
I wonder if I am being rude by writing this while the pastor is speaking. I personally do not lose anything; the message is of very low information density. Mostly it is stories. But the pastor may notice me. If so, hopefully he will think I am taking notes, and so not be offended. He very well may notice; I *am* wearing that loud shirt, and we talked briefly in the bathroom. So he "knows" me.
[Editor's note: I must learn to start writing faster. This piece lacks a good deal of the richness of thought that was happening here, and I blame it on not being able to write fast enough. This happens to some extent when I'm typing as well, but not by nearly so large a degree.]