Thank you for this space! I'm a post-evangelical who for years has been wrestling with doubt and being very angry at the churches I've been a part of, but at the same time mourning the loss of community that was once so comfortable to me. Just reading the comments has made me feel seen in a way I haven't felt in years.
I'm so glad for this! I still feel a tiny twinge of longing after my faith crises, and this seems like a nice safe way to stick my toe in the water every so often. It's been meaningful to look at examples of good relationships with Jesus and wonder what that could look like.
For those looking for a new church home, I highly recomend the Episcopal Church. Our bishop is awesome, our national diocese politics are liberal, and we are liturgical AF.
I grew up UU, functionally atheist but I have always loved really good hymns because the UU hymnal uses or adapts a lot of them, my dad has an amazing baritone voice and is in choral groups, and we did a bunch of classical religious music in high school chorus that I loved. When I listen to a really good hymn I have what feels like a spiritual experience communing with the amazing art humans have made. All that said, I am cultivating a Really Good Hymns Spotify list and would love any suggestions for additions. My style is more old school (for example, I do not like the arrangement that MoTab and John Rutter use for For the Beauty of the Earth, found the right one from Oasis Chorale). My current list, in cultivated order though not strict priority order: How Great Thou Art; Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones; Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer; Nearer, My God, To Thee; Be Thou My Vision; Eternal Father Strong to Save; For the Beauty of the Earth; Morning Has Broken; Be Still, For the Presence of the Lord. Anyone?
First, Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing is one of my absolute favorites <3. Second, does anyone else find it hard to find a church they feel like they can trust and belong? My beliefs haven't changed, but I find it hard to motivate myself to actually go back to church. I think the one that hurt me most was at my last church. It was pretty small (200 people, maybe only 100 each week), the pastor married us, we went for 3 years... but then when we stopped going, we only got contacted by her once we stopped our donation 6 months later...
No one asked, but I would just like to say that I recently learned that T. Bone Burnett grew up Episcopalian and my mind was blown. Based on his taste in hymns had assumed Baptist, or Disciples/Church Of Christ/Christian Church, or Methodist at the very least. Anyway, that’s all I have for this Wednesday.
If anyone wants more Wednesday worship material, the podcast Good Christian Fun releases episodes weekly on Wednesdays. It's definitely a comedy podcast, as the hosts and their guests cover Christian pop culture and media, but the hosts are still practitioners and every episode they touch on very sincere topics relating to Christianity.
So, can we talk about how hard it is to get yourself to the church building sometimes, and then struggling with crushing guilt for not going?
I'm lucky to attend a small, progressive church with a really wonderful pastoral team (doubly lucky because I live in the South, where such things can be rare), but our services are in the afternoons, and I find myself skipping them more often than not. I feel guilty for wasting the gift of this community, but also, having grown up with pastor parents and spending entire weekends at church for most of my life, I sort of indulge in the power to stay home? If that makes sense?
I really like this! I grew up in the church, Catholic family but a non-denominational church home. I stopped attending after our youth pastor was caught sleeping with one of my 17 year old class mates. His wife cried on stage that Sunday, stating that her marriage was about what God wants, not what she wants.
I’ve had a hard time with the idea of church since then. Add in all of the conservative rhetoric and I’m just not sure there’s a church near me (deep south) where I would feel at home.
I go to the most amazing church in Chicago and we meet in bars and if it’s your first time we buy your first beer cuz *hospitality* so come visit, y’all.
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing is just the greatest and I get teary when we sing it in church bc that’s like CHEATING. First, it’s already church. And then you gotta go and do THAT. Cheating.
I am very excited about this tbh. I was raised and baptized by Catholic and it’s something I struggle with so my faith is v v shaky but I am pumped for these posts!
Oh, whew, I was waiting for the chance to mention I'd bought Dallas Willard's "Divine Conspiracy" per your recommendation; just about two chapters in, and already how I think/relate to God has been shaken up after a lifetime in the church. Whew! Thank you.
Thank you for this space! I'm a post-evangelical who for years has been wrestling with doubt and being very angry at the churches I've been a part of, but at the same time mourning the loss of community that was once so comfortable to me. Just reading the comments has made me feel seen in a way I haven't felt in years.
I'm so glad for this! I still feel a tiny twinge of longing after my faith crises, and this seems like a nice safe way to stick my toe in the water every so often. It's been meaningful to look at examples of good relationships with Jesus and wonder what that could look like.
For those looking for a new church home, I highly recomend the Episcopal Church. Our bishop is awesome, our national diocese politics are liberal, and we are liturgical AF.
I grew up UU, functionally atheist but I have always loved really good hymns because the UU hymnal uses or adapts a lot of them, my dad has an amazing baritone voice and is in choral groups, and we did a bunch of classical religious music in high school chorus that I loved. When I listen to a really good hymn I have what feels like a spiritual experience communing with the amazing art humans have made. All that said, I am cultivating a Really Good Hymns Spotify list and would love any suggestions for additions. My style is more old school (for example, I do not like the arrangement that MoTab and John Rutter use for For the Beauty of the Earth, found the right one from Oasis Chorale). My current list, in cultivated order though not strict priority order: How Great Thou Art; Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones; Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer; Nearer, My God, To Thee; Be Thou My Vision; Eternal Father Strong to Save; For the Beauty of the Earth; Morning Has Broken; Be Still, For the Presence of the Lord. Anyone?
First, Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing is one of my absolute favorites <3. Second, does anyone else find it hard to find a church they feel like they can trust and belong? My beliefs haven't changed, but I find it hard to motivate myself to actually go back to church. I think the one that hurt me most was at my last church. It was pretty small (200 people, maybe only 100 each week), the pastor married us, we went for 3 years... but then when we stopped going, we only got contacted by her once we stopped our donation 6 months later...
No one asked, but I would just like to say that I recently learned that T. Bone Burnett grew up Episcopalian and my mind was blown. Based on his taste in hymns had assumed Baptist, or Disciples/Church Of Christ/Christian Church, or Methodist at the very least. Anyway, that’s all I have for this Wednesday.
If anyone wants more Wednesday worship material, the podcast Good Christian Fun releases episodes weekly on Wednesdays. It's definitely a comedy podcast, as the hosts and their guests cover Christian pop culture and media, but the hosts are still practitioners and every episode they touch on very sincere topics relating to Christianity.
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let that grace now like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
So, can we talk about how hard it is to get yourself to the church building sometimes, and then struggling with crushing guilt for not going?
I'm lucky to attend a small, progressive church with a really wonderful pastoral team (doubly lucky because I live in the South, where such things can be rare), but our services are in the afternoons, and I find myself skipping them more often than not. I feel guilty for wasting the gift of this community, but also, having grown up with pastor parents and spending entire weekends at church for most of my life, I sort of indulge in the power to stay home? If that makes sense?
I really like this! I grew up in the church, Catholic family but a non-denominational church home. I stopped attending after our youth pastor was caught sleeping with one of my 17 year old class mates. His wife cried on stage that Sunday, stating that her marriage was about what God wants, not what she wants.
I’ve had a hard time with the idea of church since then. Add in all of the conservative rhetoric and I’m just not sure there’s a church near me (deep south) where I would feel at home.
Very excited for this! I wouldn't say I'm shaky in my faith, just constantly trying to figure out where I fit, church-wise.
I go to the most amazing church in Chicago and we meet in bars and if it’s your first time we buy your first beer cuz *hospitality* so come visit, y’all.
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing is just the greatest and I get teary when we sing it in church bc that’s like CHEATING. First, it’s already church. And then you gotta go and do THAT. Cheating.
I am very excited about this tbh. I was raised and baptized by Catholic and it’s something I struggle with so my faith is v v shaky but I am pumped for these posts!
Oh, whew, I was waiting for the chance to mention I'd bought Dallas Willard's "Divine Conspiracy" per your recommendation; just about two chapters in, and already how I think/relate to God has been shaken up after a lifetime in the church. Whew! Thank you.
I paid money to come here and say I appreciate Christianity being cool here. (Cool being my own definition, not megachurch pastor cool.)