We’ve Been Going To Church

We’ve been going to a dogma-free contemplative Christian church, where the emphasis is on experiencing and knowing God, as opposed to being told *what* to believe about Him. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that (1) I am very critical of religion and (2) I am raising my children to be free thinkers. At the same time, I am deeply devotional by nature and I have grown to live a very God-centered life. Archer and I have been craving spiritual community for both ourselves and our children, but that can be a tough thing to find when everyone around you has their boxes (religions) and you want something.. else.

On our first day at this church, a woman showed us around the children’s rooms. They were set up Waldorf style. There were simple, high-quality toys made from natural materials and there was a peaceful, reverent feeling to the space. She showed us all of the wooden figurines that they use to tell the children Bible stories. And then she said something that felt like a breath of fresh air to me. She said, “We tell them stories but we don’t tell them what to think about them, because we want the children to experience God for themselves.”

We had found our place.

In the car on the way home, Edan wanted to know the difference between “Krishna” and “Christ”. (Our kids have heard many Vedic stories, but they were new to Christian stories.) Archer told him it isn’t a coincidence that the names sound so similar and that God has many forms. Edan responded excitedly, “We should travel the world and learn about all of the religions!”

Oh, the smile on my face!

To witness my children eagerly exploring spirituality and forming a relationship with God, without an ounce of dogma or social pressure.

To witness them learning to pray and to listen for God.

And to hear them tell me several times a week, “I’m so excited for church this Sunday!”

I love their pure, heart-centered curiosity and most of all I love being on this journey with them.