Vampires for Jesus

I went to church with Rachel Beth on Sunday. The church that one of her aunt's go to was having luncheon after the service, and Rachel and I decided that it was only polite to eat the food if we also attended the service. But this was not any normal church going experience for Rachel and me.

It was a very small church. When I say that the church was small, I mean it could seat 100 people, maybe. And in this particular service, there might have been 20 people if you include Rachel and me. And it was mostly elderly people. Rachel, her cousin, and I were the only people there under the age of 40. And a majority of the people were over 60.

It was a Methodist church, and Rachel was raised Baptist while I grew up non-denominational. So, we both knew that it wasn't going to be like anything we were used to. Though the church I went to in Chicago had me better prepared than Rachel was. Methodist practices, in my limited experience, include portions where the congregation repeats or recites something along with or back to the preacher. It's helpful for visitors to pick up a program on the way in so that they know what to say and when to say. Rachel and I did not have a program. That coupled with her aunt bringing us right up to the third row five minutes after the service began really got us off to a rocky start.

When we finally found the right hymnal to sing from, we at least were able to keep up with what was going on even if it was a little awkward. Then came time for the sermon. This service was special because the former preacher came back to give the sermon on this particular Sunday. Now, I've heard a sermon, or thirty, about the Lord's Supper and the meaning of Communion. But never, in my 22 years of life, have a heard a sermon about Communion that so clearly allowed me to understand where the myth of the vampire could have come from. That's right, I think it came from the Bible.

Before anyone says anything, I am not trying to bad-mouth anyone involved. I'm not trying to make light of the Bible or Communion. I am telling the story of the sermon that convinced me that Christians who believe in partaking in Communion are basically Jesus vampires.

The preacher comes up to the podium, and he says he's going to read from John 6. He says he'll be talking about Communion. At that point, I'm fine. Maybe I'll learn something new about Communion. I'm really trying to get something out of this sermon. I mean, I haven't been to church in a few months, so I'm really trying.

Now, if you don't know anything about Harry Potter, then this will mean nothing to you, but this man talked slower than Snape. The meme on Tumblr where Snape takes two text posts to finish a sentence has nothing on this man. He read three verses, without doing anything but reading the words, in 7 minutes. The verses were not that long. So, I'm starting to get antsy. This is going to be a long one.

Why I Am Single and Not Looking

     I am at that bright, young age of 22, and I have the rest of my life to look forward to. At least, that's the way I look at it.

     If you scroll down my Facebook feed, a vast majority of my friends between 18 and 25 are engaged, in various stages of wedding planning, married, or having kids. Meanwhile, I am single, working on my master's degree, deciding on doctoral programs, and spending copious amounts of time in my office at school. I am in no way trying to take away from the wonderful things that my Facebook friends are partaking in. Many of them even have advanced degrees, and I am happy for each and every one of them regardless of their education level. They are living their lives the way the want to, and for that I applaud them.

     But here's the catch: because they are all getting engaged and married and having kids, I am constantly asked if I am dating or being pulled into conversations about how many kids everyone wants to have. So, here are the three biggest reasons why I am single and not looking.

The Status of My Relationship with God, part 3

And finally, part 3. Find part 1 here [x]. And part 2 here [x].

When I left Chicago, I was really discouraged about finding a church in Monroe. And once, I got to Monroe, I gave up hope in finding a church that would make me feel like I belonged. There are pretty much two options here: Southern Baptist and Pentecostal. There's a handful of others, including a Methodist church and a couple Catholic churches. But there are so many Baptist churches. And the Pentecostal churches have pretty big congregations from what I can tell. These churches were not going to have the same values that I had loved about my church in Chicago. These were traditional, conservative churches, and I am neither of these things.

When I am home for the weekend or short visits, I will attend the youth and young adult services at the church in which I grew up. But I cannot go to the Sunday services any longer. The two out of the last three times that I attended on a Sunday I got up and left part way through the service. And the other time, I wanted to leave, but I was sitting with someone I know to whom I didn't feel comfortable explaining myself. I questioned the necessity of attending church regularly for a while. And the sad thing is that I have come to realize why church is something one should partake in regularly. But I don't, simply, because I do not have a place that feeds my spiritual needs that reflects the values that I have.

So, where am I now? I have been listening to the podcast of the services that my church in Chicago puts out. I don't have a regular schedule for doing that yet, but it's something that I have been making an effort to put into my weekly routine. Perhaps those podcasts can be something that I write about here in the future. I also have the sporadic youth and young adult services that I attend back home. I am not radio silent with God like I was a few years ago, but there are several things that I am working through. Trying to understand how my worldview and religious/spiritual life can coexist is far from easy.

I know that my time in Monroe is quickly ending. By this time next year, I will be moving somewhere else in the country to start my doctorate. I have started looking for churches that reflect the values that I have (without getting too crazy), and since they are almost all in larger cities, I am having some luck. For now, I am making due with what I've got, and I'm taking it all day-by-day.

Until next time,
<3 Amber Marie