Pool Guy Pastor
Going to church like going swimming means different things to different people.
John Covell
July 1, 2003
Living in Phoenix, we go swimming a lot. My kids were taking swimming lessons practically as soon as they could walk! When I took them to their lessons, I could always spot the young mom who was taking her child to swim lessons for the first time. She wants her child to learn to swim, but she is clearly nervous as she hands her child to a college-age instructor, intently watches from the pool deck, and silently screams to herself, Be careful! You have no idea how valuable that person in your hands is to me. In Phoenix I quickly learned that "going swimming" means different things to different people. After mowing the lawn in 105 degrees, I go swimming, which means diving in and floating motionless. To my mom, "going swimming" means sitting on the steps and cooling off. For my wife, "going swimming" means floating on a raft or tanning next to the pool. To my kids, "going swimming" means contests for the biggest cannonball splash, seeing who can jump through the biggest stack of inner tubes, or pushing their parents into the water when they think we're not looking. For my friend Brad, "going swimming" means 200 laps before work. "Going to church" is like "going swimming." It means different things to different people. Some wade in slowly—verrrry slowly. Some jump in without even feeling the water first. Some need formal lessons, while others have a knack for picking it up by watching others. Some people sit on the deck in street clothes, and when those in the pool say, "Come on in—the water feels great!" they just smile and say, "I'm okay. I might go swimming later." They came to the pool on their own, yet they're still not sure if they really want to go swimming at all. If you keep bugging them, they'll leave without ever getting ...
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