Also I think it is the Autumnal Equinox?
This is going to be a good weekend. Jon and I have plans, but no obligations. No trips out of town, no parties, no anything. Just our own plans on our own time. Basically we're going to an Ellis concert tomorrow night, then church and brunch on Sunday. The rest of the time is entirely ours. Some basic housecleaning and grocery shopping need to get done, but nothing serious.
Wait wait, you say...Ian, did you say "church"? You're going to WHAT? In a shocking turn of events, Jon and I have begun attending First Universalist Church of Minneapolis.
Okay, really it's not all that shocking if you know the backstory. Basically, several months ago we started having discussions about spirituality, ethics, and the indoctrination of hypothetical children (!!!). We could not agree at all. Jon, while not being a strict dogmatic Catholic (obviously!), places a high importance on community and religious/spiritual education. I argued that I was uncomfortable outsourcing to and implicitly backing an organization or set of beliefs that I did not subscribe to or agree with in full. And so, we searched for compromise, which came in the form of UU. It's a very open-ended...well, I hesitate to call it a religion, so...open-ended spiritual practice/community. It's very community oriented; community as in the congregation itself, and community as in local and world issues. It's kind of a "we don't care what you believe, we care what you do" kind of a thing. Lots of social justice, charity work...the basic premise is "Don't Be a Dick, We're All In This Together". It's non-credal in the extreme...though it uses a lot of generic Protestant words and phrases (congregation, pastor, church), one of the largest sources of inspiration cited is Humanism, alongside many Earth-centric traditions, Buddhist teachings, et cetera. There is no holy book and no overarching concept of sin. The seven "guiding principles" can be found here, which include "The free and responsible search for truth and meaning" and "The inherent worth and dignity of every person".
Anyway. I probably sound like a propaganda pamphlet, and I apologize. I'm just really excited. After the first service we attended, Jon and I turned to each other and were basically gobsmacked at how perfect this was for us. I'm really excited to have just one more layer of our relationship unfolding. I have felt rather spiritually stagnent lately, and I know Jon can use some healthy grounding and community while he's so enveloped in stress.
So. Shutting up about it now.
Andywise.
Work is okay. Siamese Cat had an interview last night that seemed to go well, so perhaps she shall be my new co-worker soon? We'll see.
Therapy is continuously amazing. I feel like we've gotten over the largest humps and are making progress by leaps and bounds...I hope it sticks. Our relationship has never been better, I feel. It's rad.
Not sure what else is new. Jon has passed the 2 months sober mark! I have literally never been so proud of anyone in my entire life.
I am very happy it is fall. I had missed wearing long-sleeved shirts and flannel pajama pants and drinking hot chai with steamed soy. Mmmmm.
Wait wait, you say...Ian, did you say "church"? You're going to WHAT? In a shocking turn of events, Jon and I have begun attending First Universalist Church of Minneapolis.
Okay, really it's not all that shocking if you know the backstory. Basically, several months ago we started having discussions about spirituality, ethics, and the indoctrination of hypothetical children (!!!). We could not agree at all. Jon, while not being a strict dogmatic Catholic (obviously!), places a high importance on community and religious/spiritual education. I argued that I was uncomfortable outsourcing to and implicitly backing an organization or set of beliefs that I did not subscribe to or agree with in full. And so, we searched for compromise, which came in the form of UU. It's a very open-ended...well, I hesitate to call it a religion, so...open-ended spiritual practice/community. It's very community oriented; community as in the congregation itself, and community as in local and world issues. It's kind of a "we don't care what you believe, we care what you do" kind of a thing. Lots of social justice, charity work...the basic premise is "Don't Be a Dick, We're All In This Together". It's non-credal in the extreme...though it uses a lot of generic Protestant words and phrases (congregation, pastor, church), one of the largest sources of inspiration cited is Humanism, alongside many Earth-centric traditions, Buddhist teachings, et cetera. There is no holy book and no overarching concept of sin. The seven "guiding principles" can be found here, which include "The free and responsible search for truth and meaning" and "The inherent worth and dignity of every person".
Anyway. I probably sound like a propaganda pamphlet, and I apologize. I'm just really excited. After the first service we attended, Jon and I turned to each other and were basically gobsmacked at how perfect this was for us. I'm really excited to have just one more layer of our relationship unfolding. I have felt rather spiritually stagnent lately, and I know Jon can use some healthy grounding and community while he's so enveloped in stress.
So. Shutting up about it now.
Andywise.
Work is okay. Siamese Cat had an interview last night that seemed to go well, so perhaps she shall be my new co-worker soon? We'll see.
Therapy is continuously amazing. I feel like we've gotten over the largest humps and are making progress by leaps and bounds...I hope it sticks. Our relationship has never been better, I feel. It's rad.
Not sure what else is new. Jon has passed the 2 months sober mark! I have literally never been so proud of anyone in my entire life.
I am very happy it is fall. I had missed wearing long-sleeved shirts and flannel pajama pants and drinking hot chai with steamed soy. Mmmmm.