Finding Church Without God

For the past 4 or 5 weeks I have been attending the Unitarian Universalist Church of Studio City. I found them the same way I locate most of the things I need/want in my life, through the internet. I had been looking for something familiar to believe in, without the familiar judgement I grew up with. Needless to say, a church without God was exactly what I was looking for.

The first time I attended a service, I made someone go with me. My best friend and husband worked well for this. We all took turns after the service talking about what we liked and didn't like. We each have very different worship and religious backgrounds that finding an outlet we could all appreciate seemed strange at first. The BFF is a devoted Lutheran, the husband a stanch atheist from the Catholic community. I was baptized Southern Baptist but had also walked away from the church. So what was so moving of a sermon on this day? It was nothing special, just the background and thoughts of the new interim minister. There wasn't even a moral to the story. The music was quite ordinary for church, a little Mozart and two non-descript hymnals. It was a comfortable atmosphere to partake in.

So I went back the next week. It was a little different and I didn't have a huge entourage with me. I only had the baby and she was asleep. I wasn't so moved the second week and thought my lack of friends was the problem. I was ready to through in the towel. However, my lovely BFF reminded me that not every week was going to be amazing and that I shouldn't give up so easy. I was looking to make friends and become a part of a community. One mediocre time was acceptable. And I went back the next week.

More people started to recognize or chat with me before services. I started learning the words to songs they sang every week. But every week was completely different. One week all the transitional music was instrumental Joni Mitchell. Sermons were given by church members, both young and old a
Non-church member with a very strange background talked about how Hula and the Hawaiian culture saved his life, and all the music that day was Hawaiian. The diversity is why I went looking for a church home like this.

I am not big on churches or worship or God. I don't even like to use those terms to describe anything I am planing to participate in. At first, I referred to it as "the-place-that-shall-not-be-named," making for some giggles from the hubby. More recently, a friend I have acquired through the church community told me to call it BYOG (Bring your own God). So here is why I keep going back.

Unitarians love everyone and only want world peace and social justice for all. No really, they do. What connects these people to each other is not what they believe, but in their actions for humanity. They are accepting of LGBT issues and Atheists are welcomed. God is never mentioned, but many people believe in one (or many or non). Readings have come from spiritual and non-spiritual works and the hymnals have songs about saving the planet. I didn't think it was possible, but this is the kind of worship I want. The loving, open, all-are-invited kind.

My past made me yearn for a church home; my intentions gave me peace of mind.



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