Easter

Yesterday was Easter. So, to celebrate, my whole family, including my brother who came home from college for the occasion, dressed up and went to church for the 11 AM service. Not that we don't usually go to church, we do. But this felt different. This felt like it was supposed to be special.
But to me, it felt like just another Sunday. I understand that Jesus was risen and that's a big deal. But during praise and worship, the band played a bunch of songs I didn't know so rather than sing along, I looked around at the other people. Some were crying, some were swaying, some had their arms in the air, and this one girl in the row in front of me was on her knees. They were all worshiping God in complete surrender, and all I was thinking about was how much I would rather be at home than here and how I'd rather sleep later that afternoon than visit both sides of the family.
I think it's ok. I tried to focus. I hope God realizes that. And I think it's ok that not every one can meet God within the walls of a church building. I read a quote once, it was sort of like "I would rather be on the mountains thinking about God than sitting in church thinking about the mountains."
I think that if we assume that everyone finds God the same way and everyone worships him the same way too, then that's trying to put people into a box that very few are actually going to fit into. And if we say that's how it has to be done, that's the only way to meet God, then that limits God. I think God meets people wherever they are and tells them they don't have to squeeze themselves into the "Christian mold".
Which is why I don't understand how Christians can judge people for how they dress. I see people at my church turn up their noses at the men with tattoos, or dreadlocks, or baggy jeans who visit church with their wife and kids and maybe the family is ethnically mixed, instead of the clean-cut, khaki-wearing conservative Republican white guy with the office job and the equally conservative and submissive Republican white mom who stays at home and raises the kids to be just as polite and conservative. I don't think that's the only way to do things, and I don't think that's the reality for many families, and to shelter yourself from the actual reality isn't loving people. It's not loving your neighbor when you choose which neighbors to love.