All Things Woompty

Sunday Best

A Pagan and an atheist walk into a church....

Sounds like the start of a really bad joke, doesn't it? I bet you'd never guess that I was describing the way Kevin and I started of our Sunday. But we were indeed at church on Sunday morning, and it wasn't even because of a wedding or a funeral or any other family/friend mandated visit. We were just there to go to church.

Before any of you start thinking that the world is ending or anything, I should probably mention that the church we went to is the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego. It's not really your typical church. The gathering bell is a Tibeten bowl gong, they regularly throw Solstice, Equinox and Sabbat rituals, and their emphasis seems to be on helping people to live a good life while believing whatever they want to believe.

The church thing is a me thing though, not a Kevin thing. He came with me on Sunday just to check it out before attending the Winter Solstice celebration in a couple weeks. Beth is a member there, and since she's got the same mindset as I do about most things spiritual I figured I would check it out. I've been feeling a bit at a loss lately, spritually at least. Don't get me wrong, I'm still into pentacles and cauldrons, but the tradition that my high priestess is teaching us veers away from nature based into the ecstatic realm and for me, my sense of the Divine has always been tied to nature, to the way the Earth moves through the seasons, the rhythm of life as it relates to the trees and ocean and animals. So it's time to do some exploring, and somehow that led me back to church. And it's the right place for me right now; I know that much because every time the affirmation is spoken, tears (of joy? of relief? I do not know) come to my eyes.

The other part of my sudden churchgoing ways is the fact that First Church is a hotbed of liberal activism. They participate in Earth Day celebrations, they march in the Gay Pride parade, they organize peace marches. Lately I feel like I should be doing more than just raging against the Bush presidency and shaking my fist angrily at the injustice in the world. I should be out there doing something, but I have no idea where to start. Something tells me that First Church will be able to help me direct that energy in the right direction. At the very least, they will help me figure out where I go from here.

And in the meantime, how can a place that's guided by the following be a bad place to be?

May love be the spirit of this church,
May the quest for truth be its sacrament,
And service be its prayer.
To dwell together in peace,
To seek knowledge in freedom,
And to help one another in fellowship.
This is our aspiration.

So for the time being, if you're looking for me on Sundays at noon, I'll be in church. Me and the rest of the Pagan/agnostic/Buddhist/Christian/atheist/etc worshippers of First Church.

posted by Melinda @ 8:41 PM