Something New

Something new . . .

Do the words excite you?  Make you curious?  Does your heart race a little with anticipation?

For many of us, the idea of something new sets are blood moving, puts a spring in our step, and keeps us up the night before the big event.

But, for some of us (my son, especially) something new can be debilitating, crippling, terrifying.  He's grappled with this fear of change since we moved to our new home now five years ago.

I digress . . .

Yesterday, we tried something new - a new church.  My early posts shared much of my frustration with the church and a deep yearning for a more spiritual connection than the traditional church can provide.  I have read (and will continue to read) a few books, lots of web sites, and explored other not-so-traditional options.  I've begun practicing meditation - regularly.

This morning, though, we finally did it.  We stepped outside our comfort zone and traveled to a nearby Unitarian Universalist Church.  I knew going in that this was not the kind of church I've always known.  It would not be the liturgy and ritual that I have always loved.  

I've come to believe that there are multiple truths and have written about this new paradigm before.  This church seems to offer a place to explore this multiplicity while providing support and understanding of each person and their personal spiritual journey.  I love this!

We enjoyed our morning, the warm welcome we received by the 35 members attending.  It was small, informal.  The speaker (who shared her Buddhist journey) was engaging and educational.  My spirit felt more at home than it has felt in years.  

The children were swept off to religious education where they watched a few scenes from Harry Potter and connected those to traditional beliefs of the UU church - love and dignity of all creation.  There aren't many mainline churches that would bring Harry Potter into their curriculum!

This was a big stretch for us - filled with excitement and curiosity, but also with fear and the realization of what we may give up moving forward.

While personally excited and hopeful, I'm mostly proud of my son.  He went off to religious education with the look of terror on his face, looked back at where we were sitting, and said "I can do this, Mom."

And he did!