Yesterday Bishop and I went on an adventure. I needed to buy a certain hair care product (completely different story) so I decided to take a walk to the nearest walgreens. On the way back, we stopped at a Christian gift store that's in our neighborhood. I have often passed it driving and I always love to go into Christian stores and look around. So I went in and almost immediately started talking to the lady who was working there. She was very friendly and was telling me all about the church next door that the store was affiliated with and all about the services and daycare and whatnot. So I checked out their website today because I was wondering if they were associated with any denomination and what kind of stuff they believed in.
I found pretty much what I expected: Non-denominational, bible is infallible, substitutional atonement, family is awesome (not sure if that's code or not). Then I started wondering if our church had any absolute statements like that. I didn't think they would. I was guessing I would find some statements taken out of the Methodist handbook. The closest thing I could find was this, "The Table is a place where... you will not be handed a checklist of orthodoxy." That statement right there warmed my heart.
My church is a place where I don't have to pretend I agree with anything. I don't have to put aside my questions and doubts when I come to service. If I'm not sure there is a God this week, I don't have to skip service for fear of being blasphemous. And most importantly, I don't have to pretend I disapprove of gay people. Because I don't, and they don't. It's a place where I can be my 100% genuine self.
I found pretty much what I expected: Non-denominational, bible is infallible, substitutional atonement, family is awesome (not sure if that's code or not). Then I started wondering if our church had any absolute statements like that. I didn't think they would. I was guessing I would find some statements taken out of the Methodist handbook. The closest thing I could find was this, "The Table is a place where... you will not be handed a checklist of orthodoxy." That statement right there warmed my heart.
My church is a place where I don't have to pretend I agree with anything. I don't have to put aside my questions and doubts when I come to service. If I'm not sure there is a God this week, I don't have to skip service for fear of being blasphemous. And most importantly, I don't have to pretend I disapprove of gay people. Because I don't, and they don't. It's a place where I can be my 100% genuine self.
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