The Lord's Day

I've got a big hollow feeling of loneliness. I hate to admit it because I feel pathetic when I do.
I used to have alot of friends, a strong network of support, people who I'd go out to dinner with, shopping etc. Most importantly, these friends understood me and I understood them.
Over the past five years, most of my friends have died. Some of illness, some of old age, some of suicide.
The Old Man is gone all the time.
I am a Christian and I've gotten involved in church. I don't know how it used to be but the church, like the rest of the world, has become very self-absorbed, so "family-orientated" (trying to recreate the fifties) that there is no room for someone like me, married but with her husband gone all the time (not that he'd darken the door of a church anyway), no kids to fawn over, no job. I'm almost invisible.
Don't get me wrong. Family is wonderful. I suppose. The churches focus on it however has been subtly lessening the focus on reaching people with the message of salvation.
One group that has been marginalized this way is gays. Let's say a gay person comes to church, maybe feeling spiritually curious (and quite vulnerable, I imagine) and there's something announced about a boycott of products that sponsor a certain tv show with gays. "We must protect our children." Is this good for the gospel of Christ? Actually, we have become so vocal about these things, I'd be surprised if any gay person wanted to ever come into a church.
Besides, we are called to be in the world but not of it (I am a poor example of this but...). We are not called to sanititize the world for our children. Did Christ attempt to sanitize his world? He knew the time was short and it still is.
Guess what? Shelter your kids in Christian schools, isolate them in Christian social circles and when they grow up, the world will eat them alive. Or, even worse, they will have no way (or desire) to understand their fellow (non-Christian) human beings. Well-meaning but clueless, they'll make announcements in church about boycotting products to protect the children.