What do you think?

Mike, Milo, and I visited a church not too long ago, and I'm thinking maybe I'm being too critical. So I'm sending this out into the void, thinking you all could give me some perspective with your diverse backgrounds and experiences in the Christian market. Beautiful church, modern, inviting, nice people greeting, nice, easy music. Milo was approaching nap time, but sometimes when he's distracted, i.e. lots of music, people, and even some interesting lights, he does fine. So we kept him with us. He started to talk a little bit, not even fuss, just talk, but kinda loud, so I got up with him and started to leave the sanctuary. As I do so, one of the usher-type people standing near the back of the church emphatically mouths the words "thank you," with a ginormous smile.

So here's my thing: was this woman just finding a way to connect with me by shooing me out with my infant? Are they so concerned with the perfection of the performance that was taking place, that even a few baby babbles might distract from the "perfect" worship that was taking place? Where do babies fit in in God's Kingdom? And maybe I had this church's answer for that too:

As I left the sanctuary, to wander the halls outside, rocking Milo to sleep, every person who walked by tried to point me to the nursery or the mother's room. At this point, I wasn't bothering anyone, at least I didn't think I was, we were quiet, Milo was sweetly asleep in my ams, and here I could at least still hear the service and the pastor's message. Did we not fit in at all because we didn't go to our assigned spot? Am I being contrary because I didn't want to go to the mother's room or the nursery of an unfamiliar church?

I guess I know I'm being a little sensitive, but why do we have to have a spot where people have to go when they meet the specifications? I love that churches try to cover all their bases, but in doing so, are we forcing people into generic labels, not allowing the joy of the generations, of different perspectives and environments? And what happens when people aren't happy with the labels churches give them? I remember right before me and Mike got married, I was still in college, barely, Mike had just graduated, and we were trying to go to the "college and career" group at our church, but it was a majority of underclassmen, and the focus was thus on them, understandably. But when Mike and I tried to fit in elsewhere, the adult group was mostly people at least 15-20 years older than us who did not try very hard to value us because in their mind, we probably belonged in the college and career class, not in theirs.

I guess I'm just questioning the system, throwing this all out to you, whether you care or not, whether you've experienced something like this, or if your church has a better answer. I have to admit, Mike and I just moved from a church that I feel like had an answer, but now we're three states away, and I have the sneaking suspicion, they were a rare find...