It’s Sunday morning again – the day I used to go to church.
My new Sunday morning routine consists of writing (obviously), reflecting, reading Scripture and praying. Although, my “praying” looks nothing like I was taught in church. For the longest time, I was stuck on the part where I thought God was hollow, like the cheap chocolate Easter Bunnies in a box at Walgreens.
So now my praying looks more like a lot of journaling, questioning, thanking, and less swearing. Progress.
I never could understand why everything had to “look” like everything else. That was, and still is, boring to me. I’d rather wear Chuck’s (Converse for you non-Basketball fans) with a skirt than heels. Put books in my office rather than doilies and a wooden Welcome Friends! sign. Wear a black and gold tux to my Senior prom in 1991 before Ellen had a talk show.
You get the point.
Being told what to do, say, look, and feel is absurd. Why would anyone with a brain listen to anyone else solely on the basis of that is their preference?
Sure, this (rhetorical to me) question has gotten me labeled, bullied, into loads of trouble, and fine, divorced if I’m honest. But I don’t know how not to be honest – nor do I ever want to try. The shortest path between two distances is DIRECT. Point A to Point B. Making passive- aggressive pit stops on the way is a giant waste of time and will never get you, or anyone pretending to listen, to the final destination.
Yes, I get it’s a journey. Trust me, I GET IT. But what I continue to not understand is why people, presumably leaders based on titles and job duties, keep leading by way of suggestion. “Think like this, because if you don’t – you are WRONG.”
Old worlds pass away, and new ones are born. It’s called evolution. It’s called advancement. It’s called growth. And it was called another little thing in the 16th century: The Reformation.
When old worlds pass away, new ones are emerging, and times are a changin’ – it is unavoidable that the church would also feel the impact. Just as new ways of being human emerge, so too are new ways of being Christian.
YIKES! What is she saying? Is she a full-on HERETIC these days? Is she in full-on mid-life crisis mode? Is she crazy? Is she…(label, label, label, puke)
I read recently that in the time of the Reformation, it was unknown and debatable (shocking) how exactly the new way of “being Christian” was going to occur. While some sought to reform the church from within, others lost hope for all such reformation and openly broke with the papacy.
As a result, in that age of crazy turmoil, many sincere Christians went through profound soul searching which eventually led them to conclusions and positions they could not have predicted. Others, equally sincere and devout, came to opposite conclusions.
We are not unique. This time we are living in might “feel” unique, but that is just dumb to say out loud because were you living in the 16th century, or during the Gold Rush, or WWI or Prohibition? Neither was I, but I’m pretty sure those times for people who were “felt unique” too.
For everything, there is a season. For everything, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
And for everything and everyone – it looks different.
Whether we choose to reform from within or burn it all down is a choice.
And I’m gonna make mine myself, thank you very much.
So did you stop going to church because of location or something else?