Versions of Christianity that I have known

Christianities that I have known

I was raised on conservative Lutheranism, and this is my experience of that upbringing… Go to church, dress for church, help when you can. Go to the rescue mission once a year during Christmas. Believe the right things. Sing in church. Don’t fall asleep during the service. Go home after church and live your life. Only worry about church on Sundays. These thoughts are my experience only.

Later, I followed my mother into a fundamentalist cult like sect. Raise your hands, praise the Lord. Look the other way when the preacher steals the money. Don’t ever question church leadership. We are in, others are out. Judge them, recoil from them, have the pat answers. During this time I attended worship where demons were cast out of people [supposedly.] Needless to say, those few years affiliated with that group left a mark on me that I am still trying to navigate.  It was complete craziness!!!

Then I found the United Methodist Church. It is a big church where many diverse people live under a very large umbrella. In this phase of my Christian journey, I learned about love. I learned about accountability. I learned about authenticity. I learned about trying to apply your faith not just on Sundays, but every day, every time to every person. The UMC isn’t perfect, but it has been a good home to me.

We all have our own spiritual journeys. I hope that you are brave enough to move on if you find yourself in an abusive or highly demanding church. It is ok to move from one phase of your life to another. God is not offended by our growth toward grace. Don’t be ashamed of your past, and don’t be afraid to carve out a new path for your future.

It’s a beautiful day in God’s world, be sure to see the good.