Faith and Shoes

Organized religion is a funny thing.  You would think that it would be easy.  Go to church on Sunday, tithe what you are able, live your life in a Christ-like fashion.  Show the world, through your actions, what it means to be a Christian and to live your life in perfect love.

You would think it would be easy, wouldn't you?

It's not.  It's filled with politics, back biting, drama, anxiety.  There are churches who embrace and love everyone with open and affirming arms, welcoming anyone in their doors.  And then there are churches who preach hate and intolerance and will not allow homosexuals to visit.

The politics make it hard to keep your eye on what is important.  

I have an idea in my mind of what my perfect church would be.  It's an idea of what I think would make me happy in my religious experience, although I admit that it's unlikely that I'll ever really find it.

I want a church that is warm and welcoming and filled with love.

I want to walk through the doors and feel calm and content.  I don't want to feel an overwhelming sense of anxiety and stress.

I want a relaxed atmosphere where I am surrounded by people who aren't just fellow parishioners but people who are friends.

I want to feel as though our group is just as comfortable holding our services outside in a park or the woods as we are holding them in a building.  For that matter, I don't want a formal church building.

Oh, and the building has to have a good feel to it.  We went to a church once and I always felt like I was suffocating...there was something broken with that building.

I want our group to be relaxed.  I want to feel like I can come to church wearing jeans and a tanktop or my yoga pants and a t-shirt without being judged.  I want to know that if Roland's clothes are messy (dude, he's a toddler, spit happens) no one will think twice about it.

I don't want our group to feel pressured to follow the same service structure every single week.  We don't need to sing the same hymns.

I don't want to feel that people are judging me if I choose to not stand during church.  Sometimes, I don't want to.  I don't feel it's necessary for ME to worship.

I want to know that we can wear nice shoes or sandals or flipflops or ratty sneakers and no one will care.

I want a church that doesn't have any drama.  I don't want back biting or infighting or other shitty behavior that will make me not want to go.

I know that's a pretty tough list, and I know there are things on there that will never be fulfilled.  I just know that at the end of the day, I want a church where the importance is placed on the community we are fostering and the way we are living our lives.

Church shouldn't be about who is tithing the most and the politics.  I feel like so many times, it isn't the spirituality and the faith that matters.  It doesn't matter if you actually life your life in a Christ-like manner, as long as it appears that way on Sunday.

I don't want to be part of a church that doesn't encourage us to live our lives in the best way every day.  I want to look forward to going to church every week.  I want to feel uplifted and loved and inspired when I leave church.

I don't think that is too much to ask, do you?