With the passing of my Cousin. God, Heaven, and Hell seemed to be on my mind a lot now.
I was raised in a church. I did everything that was required of me. I was the “good” little girl that I was expected to be. I enjoyed getting ready for church the few times a year we went. I enjoyed seeing the ladies in dresses and the men in suits (I know this kind of dates me…). I even like the traditions of prayer, standing, sitting, reciting the readings, and even the sacraments.
That was true until I was 13 and confirmed by my church.
Confirmation was a big deal to my parents and I did everything that was required! Hours of community service, reciting certain prayers a certain number of times, and attend catechism classes. But not everyone who was getting confirmed at the same time I was as zealous as me.
I started seeing things…
Other kids would joke about community service “Why do we need to go help all those old people…I am only going the first time and the last time”. During prayer time other students would start the prayer “Our Father…blah…blah…blah…Amen” – They didn’t even know the prayer! The catechism classes were not much better, the other kids would question or ignore the teacher and breaks were a time for mischief and making out.
I guess that I could have let that all go except on the day of confirmation all of those “bad” kids were confirmed! They had not done the requirements – I DID! I was so upset, from that day forward I never went to church again.
Until the day I heard Toby died.
My Cousin, Rachel, had been asking me to go to church with her, but I had always said “No, that is not for me.” but today I said “Yes”.
Her church was different…
The church was not in a “church” but in an office building, people were talking and laughing in the “auditorium” not being reverently quiet as I had always been taught. There were not any statues and only one single cross on the front of the pulpit. As service began, we didn’t follow a missal but we looked up verses in the Bible. (I had no clue where to look to even find the verses.) They sang hymns and they did not even have the correct prayers just someone talking. It was really weird to me almost irreverent, or so I thought.
After about 40 minutes of the pastor preaching, we sang a closing song and for the first time, I heard that Jesus loved me and wanted me to be a part of His family. Okay…I guess? I only needed to place my trust in the payment that he fulfilled on the cross. Humm….not sure about that. If I put my trust in Jesus’ payment for my sin I could know right then that I would go to heaven. Wait one minute!?…if that is what is needed then why did I do all those things required by my church?????
I knew going to church would be a waste of time. What does he know? They don’t kneel, they don’t say the correct prayers and they don’t even have a church that looks like a church. What a waste of time!
Luckily for me on the way home, my cousin, Rachel, did her part. She asked, “What do you think?” I right away shot back questions. Why don’t they pray correctly with the traditional prayers? It is strange, how can I read the Bible and understand it? Why even going to church – Maybe at Easter and Christmas?
Over the next few weeks between my cousin and Pastor Rick, all my questions were answered, with scriptures.
- I can understand the Bible myself – someone does not have to “tell” me what it means?
2 Timothy 2:15 KJV Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
- I am supposed to be praying like I am talking to God?
Matthew 6:7 KJV But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
- God wants me to study his Word and know it for myself?
2 Peter 1:20 KJV Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
- God wants me to be in church more than two times a year.
Hebrews 10:25 KJV Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
That is in the Bible? That is what God wants me to do.
Maybe, just maybe, I need to rethink this whole church thing.
My SECOND stone…CHURCH
