Lyssa Kolb: Drinking the Commons Kool-Aid

I haven't always had the best experiences with churches. About a year and a half ago I found myself looking for a new church but being very hesitant and not overly motivated. By March when I went to one of my best friend's (Bekah Law) parent's house for her birthday party, I'd quit looking all together. I hadn't spent much time with Bekah's family at that point and was decently nervous that I would say or do something dumb or awkward. Plus if Bekah's family was anything like her, church would be a topic of conversation at some point and it was a decently sore subject for me at the time. During lunch I sat by Kimberly, Bekah's sister in law, and she was casually telling me about this new church her and Thomas were involved in that was in their friend's/pastor's house. Bekah, who is always trying to help even if you don't ask for it, kept telling me I should go no matter how many sideways glares I tried to send her way. Thomas gave me the web address for the church and Kimberly told me to let them know if I ever wanted to go but neither of them pushed anything, which I was grateful for.

In the fall I decided to pick up my church hunt again and Commons kept sticking in my head, but I wasn't going to walk into a stranger's house alone on a Sunday morning no matter how much Bekah swore her family hadn't invited me to a cult or a well dressed Sunday morning fight club. So Bekah tricked me... She came to visit me for a weekend and said that on Sunday we'd try a church. On Sunday we left for church and ended up outside of the Bezner house. I found myself sitting in their living room waiting for someone to offer poisoned koolaid or kick me in the shin. People I didn't know were coming up and talking to me. I was surprised at how friendly and genuine everyone was. I watched people laugh and hug and smile… like they wanted to be there, not because it was Sunday morning and they had to be there out of guilt or habit. I had never had a church like that, where going was a blessing not a burden. So I started attending when Bekah was in town and trying a few other churches when I was on my own, but I noticed a big difference between Commons Church and every other church I tried out that made me start looking forward to the weekends Bekah would come visit her family and I'd go to church with them … the people.

I was spoiled by the wonderful people of this church. Jennifer, Joy and Audry who could sense when I walked into the room and using the stealth and swiftness of a ninja would magically appear in front of me to see how I had been. Little Ben Bezner who I swore would spend the entire "greet your neighbor" part of service waiting patiently in front of me to quickly thank me for coming and give me one of the firmest handshakes I'd ever received from anyone, much less a child. Not to mention Linda and Steve who hug me more than every member of family combined. My mind was about about 85% made up that I would make the Commons my church home when I had the stroke. My old church, which I had attended since childhood, sent me a card and spelled my name wrong, both first & last AND wrote "Mrs" in front of it even though I am not married. (It's the thought that counts though, right?) And Steve, who barely knew me and had no obligation to me… I wasn't a member of the church so it's not like he needed me healthy and back at work so I could get paid and tithe (that's a joke, I know he would never think that way!)... he showed up in the hospital and prayed with me and talked to my family. When I was released, Thomas, Olivia and Ethan came to my house to see how I was doing and find out if there anything I needed. My facebook page had messages from people I recognized from church but had very little contact with asking if I needed food or rides or even entertainment.

I think sometimes about the way things turned out and the timing of Commons in relation to my stroke… Maybe God knew I'd need this church, need the people, the small groups, the fellowship, the music, the sermons. Or maybe He knew the secret to quick healing is in scalding hot coffee, homemade desserts and Jack Chappell's baby saliva when the world's thirstiest child tries to drink from my water bottle. I can't say exactly why God brought me to Commons Church but for all these reasons and a million more, I'll keep coming back.