Tonight I got to ride a bike. It's my day off, and J is up at the farm while I'm in the city. It hasn't been a very restful day, because I've been running errands and keeping appointments all over the city, but it's still nice to have time to do something different.
At my church there was a presentation by the group who went to Asuncion, Paraguay for the World Mennonite Conference. Many of them went by bus from Bogota to Asuncion, and a bit further, to Buenos Aires. Check out a map to see the distance covered -- it's impressive! I really enjoyed seeing their pictures and hearing a bit about the trip and the conference, especially when they showed photos from Peru, where I've been. I also (knowingly) made the bad decision to drink a little cup of coffee, so I hope I can still get to sleep early!
So, I'm going to this mennonite church, which doesn't mean amish or anything like that. It means that they're supporters of equality in the church, between gender, age, education, wealth; that they're against violence; and in the case of this congregation at least, that they're very involved in social justice and community work. Mennonites are Anabaptists, which I recently learned comes from the time of the reformation, when they "re-baptised" each other (having been baptised as children the first time).
I like the church. It is smallish, has a family feel, has things I can help with (if and when I have time), is involved in the community and cares deeply for social justice in Colombia and globally. In fact, often in the past I've felt more on the pushing-edge in this regard, but this congregation challenges and pushes me more: in other words, I have room to grow in my part of "ushering in the Kingdom of God", and this church can help me in that growth.
But I wish I could fit into a category of some sort. I grew up Baptist, went to a non-denominational church for a while, then a Presbyterian church, and now a Mennonite church. There are things I like about all of the churches I've been a part of, and things I've questioned as well. It would be a lot easier to be able to say that I am 100% on board with everything; in other words, to fit in. (Or what seems to me to be fitting in.)
I know that it doesn't really matter and that, in fact, I don't LIKE labels that completely identify a person, but I sometimes feel like I have a big secret in not being mennonite, or in not knowing my stance on non-violence.
Anyways, those are just some thoughts, but the ride home on a bike borrowed from a friend was nice.

Things are going really well at the farm, even though it's still hard to get up so early on days we have to come down to the city with the ministry bus, and it's cold, and the hot water heater is broken in Kiwi House (where we are currently).