12/07/2025
I was in church this morning – I know, it surprises me too but let’s stay on topic – I needed to hear this message today. The world is pretty crunchy out there. Every day I cringe at the new levels of just plain WRONG that are tolerated and even applauded by some of my fellow Americans and despair that there is no place for me – a person who is pretty incapable of dishonesty and generally chooses silence if I cannot muster genuine kindness.
We were visited by our Bishop today. Honestly I didn’t care. My experience of church leadership is stodgy old straight white men who tolerate anyone who is not a white straight male in positions of leadership or ministry but still carry an air of superiority in their titles. Our bishop is a woman and her message was so timely and needed in today’s world where “church” is dying. It’s dying a long, slow death at its own hand, but that’s another post.
Repent. We talked about the meaning of this word, both in church culture and in the original Greek. We grew up with “repentance” synonymous with contrition, or feeling bad about your “sins” with or without self-flagellation depending on your particular flavor of dogma, when the literal meaning is to TURN AROUND. Turn around from hatred, fear, jealousy, insecurity … and turn to the example set by the character of Jesus of Nazareth. Letting go of all the culty trappings around that, getting away from the mystical magic of whatever you believe about the virgin birth, resurrection or political assassination, Jesus’ message was simple:
BE A F***NG DECENT HUMAN.
(It should be noted that "Christianity" doesn't have lock on this either. I just like the sparkly lights and that's what I grew up with)
I ask myself every week as I sit in the pews, reciting the words to creeds I don’t necessarily really believe, and prayers to a (white guy) in the clouds I’m not sure is really there “why do I do this?” I could be sitting at home drinking coffee in my pajamas instead of in a room full of people at 8am on a weekend. I jokingly quip that it’s the only place I’m allowed to sing in public, but I know there’s more too it than that and today’s sermon really brough that home.
I go to church because in general, the community of believers at least aspires to be decent humans. That being said, I cannot stress enough the importance of finding a community that takes that message HOME and lives it beyond lip service which can take some searching. So each week, you’ll find me sitting (in the back row) in my little country church because it feels good to share experiences with people with whom I share the value of showing up in the world like Jesus. Whether you believe him to be divine or just another guy doesn’t matter in my opinion. He was a powerful force in the world in speaking out against corruption and division, instead bringing a message of love and kindness and acceptance.
And that’s why I go to church. Because it gets exhausting to spend every day inundated with the ways people can be awful to one another, including in my own small community. I needed this shot in the arm to remember WHY I do what I do – not just as a therapist, but as a human – to light a single candle in a world that can look pretty dark.
Don't give up. Love will win. But it's a marathon, not a sprint.
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