I went to church today.
It wasn’t for a wedding or a baptism or a funeral.
I know. Little agnostic me going to church willingly.
You know what, though? I have been through so much the past eighteen months or so, from that worse case scenario to pondering what it means when an agnostic celebrates Christmas to being on my own, that going to church today felt right.
Is it simply a need for socialization or for directing a passion for social justice into something more tangible than the secular world provides? I don’t know. Did I hit the jackpot with this first church? I don’t know. Am I still agnostic? I don’t know.
The music of both religious and secular origins. A special time for the congregation’s children before they headed off to Children’s Church while the adults contemplated deeper, heavier stuff. The sermon touching on current events in Libya and Japan while trying to reconcile those horrible things with the teachings of Christianity and the particular denomination.
I don’t claim to know much about The Bible or hymns or the intricacies of the denomination I might continue to visit, but going to church just feels right, like a natural progression of life as I know it.
I’m currently reading a booked called “Take This Bread” by Sara Miles, a lesbian ex-journalist who became part of an Episcopalian church in San Francisco when she was in her 30s. Reading about her transformation (as someone who also grew up agnostic) was really interesting and refreshing compared with a lot of the heavy, Christian-ese books you’ll find. Anyway, I just thought I’d pass it along in case you are interested!
Rachel is there a Unitarian church near by? They have sort of a different spin on things which I find very interesting.
I’m not super hip to religion or church either, but there is always something healing about a group of people singing in unison. Voices raised in song always make me me hopeful…make me believe in something. Hell if I know what.
I had a similar experience recently. It feels so strange even admitting that I go to church now, but I’m really loving it and will keep going back.