Church Then and Now

 

I started out as a child...

I just wanted to throw out something y'all could relate to. 

The subject 'Church' is something fewer and fewer relate to but just for the two of us, I'll tell the tale anyway. 

Then...

As a child I was introduced to 'Church' when my mother took us to Central Avenue Baptist Church on the west side of Chicago. She was raised in that sect. We (my sister and I) attended Sunday school and even VBS - Vacation Bible School (an oxymoron if there ever was one) 

At around 8 years old, my elementary school sent home a letter that my parents needed to let the teacher know if I should be released early on Wednesdays for something called "Catechism". My mother took me aside and asked point blank would I like to be a Baptist like her, or a Catholic like my father. 

I only had to think for 7 seconds before answering "Baptist, like you". This call was easy for two reasons:

1. I had never attended any Catholic services of any sort. My father had no love for the church.

2. From what my Catholic friends had shared, the nuns had a habit of bashing kids with a ruler for getting out of line. (I was often 'out of line')

I nearly got kicked out of VBS for explaining the 'trick' behind Jesus flying away after popping up from the dead. Let's just say the teacher was quite cross with me. I didn't want to Think about what the nuns would have done to me.

Calling this episode "Then and Now" makes it sound like my church going career was in two parts. It wasn't. 

A few years later, I was asked to be a church musician for a small church called "The Temple of Light". I was 12 and had already played in a band, so I passed the audition. Despite the name, the Temple of Light was in the ballroom of the Oak Park Arms Hotel. (home to my second favorite radio station WOPA). It was nice being part of this community and exposed me to a good deal of "New Thought" ideas and the 'show biz' part of church.  

Leaving Chicago for a new life in Houston, I kinda expected to never do much churchin' again. For several years (about 5) I did not attend church but still keeped an interest in it. Meaning I read the religion section of the Chronicle every Saturday. 

At the age of 26 I was able to land an apprentice position in piano technology at a small family owned shop. Early in my hire, the owner informed me they had a rule that everyone that worked there needed to be in church on Sundays. If I didn't have one, he insisted he would pick me up and take me to his. Apprenticeships like the one I was getting were as scarce as hen's teeth, so don't comment that HEY THAT'S ILLEGAL!!! 

A church I had been reading about, First Unitarian sounded like my port of refuge, so wife and I went to check it out. Everyone was friendly and accepting, and I didn't have to lie to fit in. 

My Unitarian career lasted almost 40 years. I was a member and a hard working volunteer at 4 area churches. Participated in regional meetings (AKA SWUUSI) among other gatherings.

A new congregation was being formed in NW Houston the early 90's, so with all the leadership training the UUA had invested in me I joined as we were going to build a wonderful, influential, oasis of culture and learning in this growing part of Houston. 

Fast forward 25 years, that never really happened. 

It takes generous people with deep pockets to create the infrastructure along with continuous dynamic leadership to create the kind of church we set out for. The congregation has continued as a "small church" with reliable offerings for the community. But never reached what most of us thought of as it's potential.  

 I could go on about this, but let's leave it there. 

The Now Part

Current wife and I have been members of Unity of Houston about 7 years now. We both were deeply involved in our former churches and began volunteering at Unity with the kids, choir, small groups. 

Covid and camping seemed to pop that bubble and we got out of the habit of regular attendance let alone putting in extra time volunteering. In short we held the church at arms length (though remained members and supporters). 

A-HA - The Point of this blogging

I had an A-HA experience recently at a church celebration. It was a fine party with a good band, dancing and food (for eating and for thought). Everyone was having a wonderful time, love was in the air. I was hanging back observing when I suddenly realized that THIS was the church we had hoped to create back in the 1990's. 

OMG if our efforts (in the UU church) had yielded anything half this productive, I would have died happy (so to speak). A great deal of what Unity IS has been handed to late comers like myself on a silver platter (as my mom would say). Standing on the shoulders of giants, etc. 

Where will this lead? A boundary I didn't quite know I had has been done in so what happens next will be up to me, I only know things will be different.