My husband and I have spent a considerable amount of time over the last few months (or years) talking church.
You see, if you grew up in some particular brand of religion and find yourself comfy there, you probably haven't thought too much about it. Oh sure, you might get a minister, priest or rabbi that you don't care for as much as that other one you used to have, but you realize the institution is much more than a particular leader. You grin and bear it. You know that the community of believers is essential to your spiritual growth and nurturance and survival. You know that you and your kids will come out stronger because you offer yourselves weekly stability in a "family" of like-wise believers and seekers that is larger than your own. And of course there is the comfort of knowing what you know and sometimes you simply don't have that urge to know something different.
But what if one day, you realize you aren't growing spiritually and you discover you need something else? What if the Spirit moves you towards something new for the sake of challenging you? What if you have been essentially asleep for the vast majority of your spiritual life and have now just awoken and discovered what you have been doing for the last few decades isn't what you want for the next few? Perhaps you have moved recently, or have experienced some other drastic life change and you simply want to find a place of worship that everyone in the family can call home.
Enter the process of church shopping.
I have to admit, I LOVE to go to new churches. There is nothing like stepping foot inside a different church and coming face to face with a different theology to help you clarify your beliefs. There is nothing quite like finding yourself warmed and welcomed in an atmosphere of humble praise and thanksgiving simply because you set foot through a door. Yes, you can learn a lot about church from simply trying out new places of worship.
All that said, the purpose of this blog is twofold:
It is a place for me to share my family's experience as we have embarked on the great adventure of church hopping through the Twin Cities while also providing a forum for feedback to both those seeking and those offering a place of worship.
I hope you enjoy your visit here as much as we have ours. And, as I want this to be a place for sharing, please feel free to comment or email me with further questions and dialog!
