church attendance
As I stopped going to the Mormon church, it never occurred to me that I would stop going to church altogether. I had in mind that I would substitute Mormon services with some other services. I went to UU meetings a few times, and liked them a lot. I also enjoyed Quaker meeting. I attended Episcopal meetings a couple times, Catholic, even Muslim, but never really had them as options in my mind. Friends stepped up, knowing I was shopping around, and offered to introduce me to the religions that so influenced their lives.
The best part about shopping around was the lack of guilt for not attending. If I felt like going one Sunday, I went. The next, maybe not. It was wonderful to have power over my own time, guilt free.
Eventually, I stopped going regularly at all. I've been twice in the past year. Partly, I’m busy. Partly, my husband and son aren’t into services right now, and I don’t want to spend my precious alone-time on church. Partly, I don’t believe in God.
I see the value of spirituality, of edification, of the peace one can feel in services. But church isn’t the only place I can find that. Usually, I’m just as happy to seek out that peace in a bike ride with my son through the shady streets of town. Or in a hike through the woods. Or a nice sleep-in.
But lately I've needed a little more. I think I might trying attending UU again, see if I can stand the thought of organized religion yet.
6 comments:
I can totally relate to where you are at right now. I'm probably a little more sceptical of religion as a whole, but havent ruled out checking other things out. What is UU? I'm just curious.
Oh, silly me, making assumptions that everyone just knows all the acronymns in the world.
UU is Unitarian Universalist. Google them. They have a very non-literal view of our religious "stories" and incorporate the good they find in Judaism, Christianity, environmentalism, Buddhism...Anywhere there is good ideas, they can appreciate them. If there are bad ideas, they'll discuss them and why they make them uncomfortable.
For example, I attended a UU seder (ritual Jewish passover meal with specific food items to represent certain teachings from Jewish heritage). Two women led the meal, but the Jewish tradition says that "When women lead the seder, they'll be oranges at the table." Ie, it will never happen. So they put oranges on the table.
And they reevaluted the idea that God might send plagues and kill all the first born boys. God wouldn't do that, they say, so they reevaluate the story.
The congregations have atheists, agnostics, theists, Jews, Christians, Muslims, you name it. You choose personally what your belief in God is, what you believe about the afterlife, etc.
Many exmos find a home there.
We've seriously considered joining UU, but like you said... honestly, I just love my lazy Sunday mornings. Lately since the weather has been nice, we've been taking trips, hiking, looking at leaves, picking pumpkins... It's been wonderful and right now I'm happy with it.
I completely understand, Lisey'sMom. What's more important? Spending the day with the kids, showing them nature, enjoying time together, or dragging them to church, screaming and kicking and telling them to Shush!
I visited a UU congregation with a friend years ago, and really liked it. If the unthinkable ever happened and I was given the opportunity to actually leave the church, with my famiy, I'd probably try that, because I think I would feel a little off balance with no church at all, at least initially.
fitm- I'll send all my positive vibes your way to try to influence the universe in your favor regarding your family!
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