This is not a Translesbian entry and there are no assigned seats

Today in church brought a twist in the whole idea of singleness and women keeping silent in the church (I wavered on calling this an all new or the same old twist on this topic. I could argue for either. Let's just say it's a twist.)

Visited with Jill and her family today. Have long admired the stories of deep Sunday School talk she enjoys and was looking to cash in on some of this for myself. Although it was a good and interesting talk, I found myself in the same old quandary, the inner battle of "boy, I really want to say this, but no one else is talking". This takes on a whole new thread when you are a single woman in a co-ed class. You can imagine what's going through my head. These people seem to be smart and even if they aren't, I don't have to see them again. I spoke up in near contradiction of what the teacher was saying, it was well received and at the end of class, Jill echoed my thoughts in a way more eloquent than anything rattling around in my head (I had to swallow the instinct to cry out "And that is why you are my bosom friend!").

The service brought the single-ness question. I join the my friends on the family pew (and dude, Jill, you are right about having to get a larger one when the babies move into the service) in time to hear Jill's 8 year old son asking to sit with his buddy. Jill makes the point that church should be family time and in the course of conversation with Jill and the fam it is came up that Mommy had a friend with her today. I did make the joke that I could sit with my family (in any of three different services in two distant areas of the metro) but that I would graciously submit to Chuck's small-l-lordship today for an hour or so and sit with them.

There is no person to rant against here. I was not wronged and didn't feel it, but how weird! I am all for family-ness but it makes me wonder about the structure of the whole situation. The church should strengthen the family and it should strengthen me as an individual but what does that do to the seating chart? Reminds me of a Good Friday service years ago when the men were asked to lay hands on their families and pray as the High Priest of the home. Poor Dave, I looked at him and snarled something like, "Thank you, but I believe in the Preisthood of the Believer". A friend of mine still plugging away at the "singles" Sunday School scene asked me last night if I thought the marrieds even wanted us to hang out with them and I think they (or at least the kind of people I want to be with) don't care. My, this is a loopy train of thought.

So, I again advertise for a loveless marriage for the purpose of Sunday School only. Be warned, I am a lippy broad but can kick butt on donut duty and sing a mean alto.

Man.