(Hey y'all. I'm on vacation as I post this, and it's the kind of vacation that doesn't come with wifi. It's a good thing to unplug every now and then. You should try it. Anyhow, I just wanted to let you know that I'll check back and reply to comments as soon as I can. Cheers to all of you! -The Dol)
Baby Doc and I joined a church recently. Actually, we joined the local Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. It's maybe not so much a church, in the strictest sense of the word. They don't do much praying. They don't do much believing in God, either. In fact, I think there might be a few atheist members.
It's my kind of church.
I keep chuckling at myself, because I never thought I'd join a church again. I was raised Catholic, but it didn't take. I just don't have faith in God. That doesn't mean I'm not a seeker. I am. I have always felt a need for a spiritual path and a spiritual community. When I was a practicing Catholic, I loved the music, and I loved the rituals. There's something comforting about memorized prayers, rosaries, and the rituals that attend the Mass.
But what it came down to is, it was superficial for me, because I could never accept on faith the fundamental idea that there is a supernatural being with power over the universe. Maybe God does exist, but my skepticism just doesn't allow me to have faith. I need evidence.
That said, there's something really nice about a church community. I've really felt like I wanted it for Baby Dol's sake as much as my own. While I'm perfectly happy to impart my wisdom to her ad nauseum, I thought it might be nice for her to get the benefit of community, too.
So, when Easter rolled around, I decided to pack my little family in the car and go to church.
I knew about the local UU fellowship because they are active in a lot of the same social justice activities as I am. They hosted an organizing meeting not long ago for people opposed to Proposition 8, which stripped gay couples of their right to marry. It's a cause near and dear to my heart, because, as Polly says, why shouldn't they be as miserable as the rest of us? (Just kidding, Mr. Dol!)
And there was a peace demonstration in my town recently, marking the 5,000th servicemember death in Iraq and Afghanistan. The minister of the UU fellowship was there to give a benediction and speak. Oh, and the minister is a woman. With tattoos! She's cool, people. She's cool.
I feel good about this new thing in my life. It seems like every Sunday that I've gone to my new church, I've been moved in some new way.
A couple of weeks ago, they had a special music service. For such a small fellowship, the music is truly amazing. It's first-rate. Mr. Dol has busted out the viola and started practicing so that he can join the orchestra.
Heck, Earth Day is one of their "holy days."
Last Sunday was the New Member service. They do this service twice a year, to officially and ceremoniously welcome new members to the fellowship. And you know what? I really did feel welcomed. As I stood up at the front of the room with the other new members, and looked out at the crowd, I saw a couple of people with tears in their eyes.
I didn't think I'd find a place like that again, where there's a sense of being together for something good and non-political--I have plenty of that already. The political stuff is great, and I love my progressive friends, because we share a common cause. But there's something special, something like family, when you make a commitment to a fellowship of people, for the sake of spiritual development, but also, and more importantly perhaps, for fellowship itself.
I feel like I've received a gift, because I never thought I could find a home like this again without also finding a faith that I don't think I'll ever find.
Oh, happy day.
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