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[quasigeek]

When you start to doubt and question things, it's easy to forget that you're not the only one who has questions. I've been trying to find my place in the church for a while. My family attends a very conservative, very southern-feeling kind of church. It's what grandpa wanted, so we went, and we stayed there. I haven't been comfortable there in a

Comments

[queenlua]

haha it is absurd the extent to which people fail to grasp the "I want a fucking church not a social club" thing. I tried explaining to my mother multiple times Why I Harbor Annoyed Feelings Toward the Megachurch I Grew Up In and she couldn't understand why I didn't like the hugeness of it and the tacky dumb Christian rock music, did I hate ski trips and friends and bro-ing out and campouts and gosh Lua why do you take that pastor so seriously can't you just ignore him and enjoy the barbeque after the service?

ghaelgiaheg.

how many different churches in the area have you tried, though? even in my relatively conservative town in kentucky, when i went church-hopping in high school, i discovered a relatively pleasant variety-the lovably batty universal unitarian church if you're into a "anything goes" atmosphere, a relatively chill methodist church i stuck around with for a while, a really lovely church of christ place that was too conservative for me but ahh the a capella singing was lovely, etc. etc

[quasigeek]

I'll be honest: I really liked the sermons in the quasi-megachurch we have around here. But it's the hugeness you mention that throws me off. Like, I don't really want an usher to tell me where I have to sit. It's church, not a concert.

There aren't a whole lot of churches in the area. Most are Catholic, or a similar breed. But I'm also itching to move out of this area and don't really want to go through the hassle. (Sighs heavily.)

[livethlfe]

John and I both LOVED the "living room church" we got involved in while we were in Richmond. It was an extremely liberal and small group of about a dozen regulars who got together for dinner and discussion. One (of many) conversation I remember was about this very topic, and one idea that came up was a new draw toward small groups getting together outside the established formality of "church." I went through more spiritual growth and healing with them than anywhere else in my life, largely because 1) their focus was on discussion and not lecture or sermon, and 2) because there were so few of us, I came to feel really comfortable being open and honest.

So I guess what I'm getting at is, do you really need a brick building and an ordained minister to have church (and maybe you do!), or do you know enough people who feel the same way you do to say, "Hey, let's get together and talk about this"?

[quasigeek]

I would love to have a small group of some sort, but I'd still need a church. haha. But I definitely need that kind of atmosphere where we can discuss & debate and actually learn. I'm feeling a little stagnant.

I don't even have any friends in my area; finding a group to discuss God things would be difficult :P