serenity
I love my church.
Something I particularly enjoy though some people wouldn't is the amateurish feel to it. The electronics glitch sometimes, the announcements are unorganized, and the boy who plays the piano during the offering gets so in to his music that we are held hostage to his performance for a good five to ten minutes after all the baskets have been collected. But something about that feels more genuine to me. It's like a bunch of friends got together to celebrate the parts of life they see and love, rather than the professional and dignified productions of other churches.
I've been so wound up lately - worrying about school, my choice of vocation, relationships, friendships, family, how things are coming together (or falling apart) for my future - and somehow going to church this morning loosened all those knots. It brings my focus away from the peripherals of my life (I use the term carefully - peripherals here referring to all things that aren't the meditative core in my mind) and back into what I want to be. The question of whether my earrings match my necklace shrinks to oblivion against questions like What is my calling? What is the difference I want to make? How can I best express my desire to help those around me? Maintenance matters of clothing and paychecks and oil changes are brought back down to where they ought to be - steps in the process of maintaining my ability to become what I want to be.
The vibe of the UU suits me so well. The unfocused, undefined nature of spirituality, but deeply felt and genuine goodwill, laughing at our own disorganization, yet able to move mountains when we feel it will make the world a better place. It helps calm me, reminding me that although the practical matters of the here and now might not be perfectly on track, what really matters is the intention, the wellspring of passion and love that will find an outlet and an expression someday. Things don't have to be turning out alright right now in order to have them turn out alright in the end.
Something I particularly enjoy though some people wouldn't is the amateurish feel to it. The electronics glitch sometimes, the announcements are unorganized, and the boy who plays the piano during the offering gets so in to his music that we are held hostage to his performance for a good five to ten minutes after all the baskets have been collected. But something about that feels more genuine to me. It's like a bunch of friends got together to celebrate the parts of life they see and love, rather than the professional and dignified productions of other churches.
I've been so wound up lately - worrying about school, my choice of vocation, relationships, friendships, family, how things are coming together (or falling apart) for my future - and somehow going to church this morning loosened all those knots. It brings my focus away from the peripherals of my life (I use the term carefully - peripherals here referring to all things that aren't the meditative core in my mind) and back into what I want to be. The question of whether my earrings match my necklace shrinks to oblivion against questions like What is my calling? What is the difference I want to make? How can I best express my desire to help those around me? Maintenance matters of clothing and paychecks and oil changes are brought back down to where they ought to be - steps in the process of maintaining my ability to become what I want to be.
The vibe of the UU suits me so well. The unfocused, undefined nature of spirituality, but deeply felt and genuine goodwill, laughing at our own disorganization, yet able to move mountains when we feel it will make the world a better place. It helps calm me, reminding me that although the practical matters of the here and now might not be perfectly on track, what really matters is the intention, the wellspring of passion and love that will find an outlet and an expression someday. Things don't have to be turning out alright right now in order to have them turn out alright in the end.