Something about the phrase"plugged in" really bugs me.

So, some who read this blog may know that I am not "plugged in" to any "real church" "program." Instead, me and a good forty to fifty people meet on Sundays as friends before God, and learn from eachother, and God's word. Mostly God's word, and how we daily experience the truths of His word in our lives. It's a beautiful scene every Sunday which was put together by God's beautiful scheme. Unfortunately, some people feel that it's not enough to be doing what we're doing every Sunday. They think we should be "plugged in" as if the Bible tells us to be "plugged in... or else." My older sister, a senior in high school was at a youth group she had enjoyed attending for about a year. There came a time (very recently) when she became interested in going on a mission trip to Jamaica with the youth group. Keep in mind that she does not attend the church. Because that's the thing that gave the youth pastor grounds to say, and these were the words, "No, you don't come to this church, you're not plugged in. I'm looking for people who will work well together as a team, but I don't see you as one of them. You don't attend this church."
What a shame! How wrong is that? In an effort to get her to attend "his church" this guy used something important to her, already a believer, as leverage. This is not how it should be! The dude is going to Jamaica to spread God's word, and he rejects the help of a sister in Christ because she is not "plugged in." I would dare anyone to justify his reasoning! Such a rejection is uncalled for! How can you turn away someone so willing to come with you? Just because she's not "plugged in?"

Mr. Publix/ Jonathan Bourque

Jonathan sat outside the art room at lunch time on Friday. Here was where "Warriors for Christ/ First Priority" met. He sometimes enjoyed being there, and today it was pretty good too. He was talking to a kid on the varsity football team who showed up there every Friday. The kid (whose name Jonathan never got) had asked him where he went to church. Jonathan paused, trying to find a way to answer that question without having to explain himself later.
"I'm here, right now." he said.
The football player paused for a while and said, "Yeah, I gotchya, that's pretty cool, man. Alright."
Jonathan breathed a sigh of relief. The bell rang to end the lunch period, and he went on to complete the school day.
When Jonathan got home, he had a mission: to dress as his if-it-wasn't-for-God-then-would-be-worthless-alter-ego/ not-so-heroic-superhero a.k.a. Mr. Publix. Easier stated, he had to go to work.
Later in the work day, Mr. Publix got into a conversation with a regular church-goer who made the slight folley/ beneficial action of asking him where he went to church.
"I'm here, right now." He said remembering what Jonathan had said earlier.
The woman looked at him and said "At Publix?!"
:(

Something I should've seen coming

I sat with the most ridiculous look I've ever had on my face in French class. I was laughing somewhat hysterically with the rest of the class as we watched a blue cartoon character rap in French about how his friends liked to go to the park and have picnics.
Justin and I walked out of the class, mocking the most hilariously entertaining thing we had ever viewed in school. Still laughing, and adding our own jokes on, my arm was suddenly disturbed from it's peaceful rest at my side by a firm tap. I looked behind me to see someone I hadn't spoken to in about seven months. She smiled at me and said, "Hi, Josh!"
I smiled back, and confusedly said, "Uhh, what was that you called me?"
"Oh, uhh, Josh. I'm maiking up names now. Heh." She didn't attempt a correct guess at my name.
"Well," I began to say almost jokingly, "I'm Jonathan, I'm sure Josh is in this building somewhere, though."
She somehow managed to point him out in the crowded hallway as he passed, and said, "Oh, there's Josh!" She half-smiled.
"Are you okay?" I said.
"Oh, I got like two hours of sleep and all. I'm really tired."
I wondered how she managed only two hours of sleep when this was the school's late-start day. She was either awake until 8:00 or had only slept from 10:00 pm to 12:00 am. I didn't pry in that issue.
I noticed something different about her. Something that used to be in her light blue-green eyes was missing. By talking to her, it seemed this change was not for the better. She began talking about things I could hardly decode. None of it made sense. Now, I knew she had been one to talk quickly, but I had never heard her ramble nonsense while trying to make sense. I let her finish whatever rant she was on with a smile on my face, trying to share the almost-fake smile on her own as she went on. When she had finished, I said "Soo... where have you been lately?"
She hardly gave a moment of thought before she said "Well, not at your house, huh?"
I was pretty confused at this last statement, but replied like I wasn't. "Well, I can see that."
She began to ramble again, and ended her run-on sentence with a coherent combination of words saying, "What did you do this summer?"
I told her about my trip to Peru. She acted surprised, but told me after that she already knew that because she had seen pictures from somewhere. She asked why we were there, and I told her what we did. She started rambling again, this time about going to Peru for missions, not for missions, not going to Peru for not missions, going to Peru but not for not missions... and you think you're confused by what I typed? Before we parted in the hallways, I said that I'd see her later. I thought about how her ramblings lacked passion. How she didn't seem only two-hours-of-sleep-tired, and how she had left her good friend's (my sister's) side last shcool year in persuit of a "more successful social life."
This wasn't the girl I used to know. I used to know a passionate, considerate, smart girl. Something was wrong. This didn't make sense to me at all. I think she's done something really bad, and is trying to hide it by avoiding a true, flowing conversation, but all her rambling just makes it more obvious. I won't share her name, but just know she needs prayer... and a case of reverse irony. I hated to see her like that. I think she might have come to me for help. I need to talk to her again.