Downtown Mitchell First UMC
310 North Rowley, Mitchell, SD 57301
Rev. Keith Nelson, Lead Pastor
keith@downtownfirstumc.com
Recently Nancy and I spent some time in the Wisconsin Dells. We spent a couple days there on our honeymoon, and since this is our 40-year wedding anniversary, we thought it fitting to return to the Dells. Wow, has that region changed a lot in 40 years. One of our unofficial “vacation rules” is that if we are going to eat out, we try not to eat at a restaurant that we have here in Mitchell. Ok, there is one exception…Dairy Queen. Oh, and I guess if either of us wants a 99-cent beverage, McDonalds is the place to go. Other than that, we try to find unique or at least different places to eat.
So, as we were walking along the main street of downtown Wisconsin Dells, we came across a restaurant called MACS, which featured Macaroni and Cheese. Like many of you are thinking right now, my first thought was, “Mac and Cheese, that’s kids’ food.” And we walked on by. A bit later I found my mind drifting back to MACS and thinking about how I’d heard from some people that mac and cheese had become more of a “thing” in the food world…even for adults. So, I brought it up to Nancy; “Want to give MACS a try?” She was rather surprised but said, “Sure.” After looking over the menu, I ordered the Memphis MAC, which featured Mac and Cheese, of course. But it also had pulled pork and BBQ sauce. YUM!!! Nancy got the Veggie MAC which included onions, mushrooms, broccoli, spinach, and of course mac and cheese. What arrived at our table looked nothing like the mac and cheese that we used to serve our kids when they were little. Let me say…it was SO good!!! I’d go back again I was so glad that we decided to try something totally different for our evening meal.
The truth is, we all get stuck in our ruts…not just in the food world, but also in other areas of our life, such as in our spiritual life. Often, we human beings tend to stick with what we know and what we are comfortable with. Or, as I’ve heard some people put it, “I know what I like, and I like what I know!” But, there’s another saying that is also very true, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” Meaning, if you haven’t tried or experienced something new or different, you really don’t know if you’ll like it, if it will be meaningful, or helpful or not.
Recently I’ve read some authors that aren’t usually on my “favorites” list. I’ve listened to a couple podcasts that aren’t the norm for me. I’ve experienced and participated in worship in forms that generally wouldn’t be my first choice. I’ve listened to some styles of music that generally aren’t on my play list. What I have found is that I have been enriched by many of these different experiences. No, I won’t be including all of them in my usual or regular faith practices, but God has spoken to me or has allowed me to gain a new insight into God’s presence and power through these different means. This practice has helped me see that God is so much bigger than my own limited understanding.
Now this isn’t to say that anything goes, so to speak. There are some basic beliefs and faith tenants that I do hold to even as I explore other faith experiences. But the truth is, sometimes I do get in a rut and God shows us over and over again in the Bible that God often pulls people out of their ruts in unexpected and new ways. So, a practice I try to follow, and I encourage others to do so as well, is try a new experience in your faith journey every so often, and rather than being immediately critical in a negative way, ask yourself, “How might God be speaking and moving in this moment?” You might just discover a new favorite.
Serving Together,
Pastor Keith