Hey friends, I have been writing a great deal on the church these days. It has been heavy on my heart and I have loved sharing my thoughts with you, and hearing your own. Moving forward, I have much more in me concerning other areas of interest such as spiritual formation and the Divine Feminine, healthy community and connection, and growing more resilient in life and faith, especially when shit hits the fan in our personal lives and/or when our theology fails us.
This week I am wrapping up my writings on the church. Well, at least for now. We’ll see if a new spark of righteous frustration arises. But before I end this season on the church, I would love to know your closing thoughts.
Where are you with the church? Are you seeking a structured community or looking for something more organic/micro? Are you healing from past church experiences and what does healing look like for you? Have you found community and what are the things you are loving/unhappy with? I know lots of questions but I would love to hear from you!
Thank you for hanging out with me in this space and I look forward to more conversations.
P.S. Also, feel free to comment on what you would like to read next.
I'll get us started! My husband and I took a break from formal church for the summer and are now, slowly and with great discernment, looking for ways to intentionally connection with a Christ tradition community. We recently visited an Anglican church and though my husband felt quite out of place, he is open to learning more about this particular form of church. I have also been exploring The Wild Church network, where communities are committed to gathering together for both connection to one another, and creation. I have always experienced God in nature and am intrigued by the concept. I still feel very weary of the evangelical tradition. The best thing about visiting the Anglican church this past Sunday is that we weren't bombarded by greeters wearing matching T-shirts. It was quiet and contemplative, and we still connected with a few lovely people after the service.
Oct 5, 2022·edited Oct 6, 2022Liked by Colette Eaton
I think I'm a bit humbled in thinking through all of this. I love what you described as "contemplative." Which is very much how the church of my upbringing "Baptist that look more like reformed" church was. So when I moved to college I loved the T shirt "cool church" culture which no longer seems to fit my personality and needs. Honestly, Church has been a relatively healthy place for me and I'm lucky. I don't have a lot of hurt there. I have made great friends and been mentored by wonderful people in the church. It hasn't been perfect at all (just like a real family). And of course some teachings have been way off base. But, the scales tip in the right direction. All that to say, I think God has laid it on my heart that "Em, your 40 now. It's your time to carry the torch." So I've found a new more contemplative and quiet church in the town I've lived in for 4 months and I showed up just asking how I can help and serve. So now I'm making coffee. Something simple, but something that may lead to authentic relationships with others. If not, I'm still serving my Lord and my God. I pray daily that he fulfills my deepest longing for connection and that I would reach out to others with similar longings through--the Sunday press pots.
I appreciate your honesty, Emily and your willingness to serve even in the smallest of ways knowing that it has the potential to lead to great connection within the body. Much like our taste in wine or food changes over time, our needs for spiritual nourishment look differently as we age and experience more of the ass-kicking aspects of life. I think for many of us, life is chaotic as it is and we seek a more simpler spirituality. We no longer need the bells and whistles of our youth. Instead, it seems many of us just need a space to quiet our minds and experience real connection through simple cups of coffee.
I love certain things about my church right now, its Presbyterian which is new denomination for me. The people are wonderful, it's new so not too rigid in its form. I left a Pentecostal church for a variety of reasons and am still working through some of the ways that negatively affected me. I have some hang ups about evangelism and am unsure where I stand on a number of beliefs. I like some structure and I think it's good to meet regularly with others. Sometimes I'd love to return to my Anglican roots and other times I'd like to try simple home church!! I dont think theres a perfect church out there so we will persevere here for now
I love the ideas you plan to write about I'm here for your knowledge and wisdom!
Thanks Jen for your presence and words in this space. Like many of us, we desire to persevere where we are and yet, at least for me, I long for something else - even if that is to be healed from past experiences so that the present/future doesn't carry so much of it. Being unsure is perfectly okay, actually I believe it's necessary to walk in unsurety. It causes us to ask the hard questions without expecting a dissertation of answers. Somethings they are just left unanswered and that's hard to live with, and yet we always find a way to live with them.
I'll get us started! My husband and I took a break from formal church for the summer and are now, slowly and with great discernment, looking for ways to intentionally connection with a Christ tradition community. We recently visited an Anglican church and though my husband felt quite out of place, he is open to learning more about this particular form of church. I have also been exploring The Wild Church network, where communities are committed to gathering together for both connection to one another, and creation. I have always experienced God in nature and am intrigued by the concept. I still feel very weary of the evangelical tradition. The best thing about visiting the Anglican church this past Sunday is that we weren't bombarded by greeters wearing matching T-shirts. It was quiet and contemplative, and we still connected with a few lovely people after the service.
I think I'm a bit humbled in thinking through all of this. I love what you described as "contemplative." Which is very much how the church of my upbringing "Baptist that look more like reformed" church was. So when I moved to college I loved the T shirt "cool church" culture which no longer seems to fit my personality and needs. Honestly, Church has been a relatively healthy place for me and I'm lucky. I don't have a lot of hurt there. I have made great friends and been mentored by wonderful people in the church. It hasn't been perfect at all (just like a real family). And of course some teachings have been way off base. But, the scales tip in the right direction. All that to say, I think God has laid it on my heart that "Em, your 40 now. It's your time to carry the torch." So I've found a new more contemplative and quiet church in the town I've lived in for 4 months and I showed up just asking how I can help and serve. So now I'm making coffee. Something simple, but something that may lead to authentic relationships with others. If not, I'm still serving my Lord and my God. I pray daily that he fulfills my deepest longing for connection and that I would reach out to others with similar longings through--the Sunday press pots.
I appreciate your honesty, Emily and your willingness to serve even in the smallest of ways knowing that it has the potential to lead to great connection within the body. Much like our taste in wine or food changes over time, our needs for spiritual nourishment look differently as we age and experience more of the ass-kicking aspects of life. I think for many of us, life is chaotic as it is and we seek a more simpler spirituality. We no longer need the bells and whistles of our youth. Instead, it seems many of us just need a space to quiet our minds and experience real connection through simple cups of coffee.
I love certain things about my church right now, its Presbyterian which is new denomination for me. The people are wonderful, it's new so not too rigid in its form. I left a Pentecostal church for a variety of reasons and am still working through some of the ways that negatively affected me. I have some hang ups about evangelism and am unsure where I stand on a number of beliefs. I like some structure and I think it's good to meet regularly with others. Sometimes I'd love to return to my Anglican roots and other times I'd like to try simple home church!! I dont think theres a perfect church out there so we will persevere here for now
I love the ideas you plan to write about I'm here for your knowledge and wisdom!
Thanks Jen for your presence and words in this space. Like many of us, we desire to persevere where we are and yet, at least for me, I long for something else - even if that is to be healed from past experiences so that the present/future doesn't carry so much of it. Being unsure is perfectly okay, actually I believe it's necessary to walk in unsurety. It causes us to ask the hard questions without expecting a dissertation of answers. Somethings they are just left unanswered and that's hard to live with, and yet we always find a way to live with them.