I feel so OLD

Yesterday the Help and I went to check out a PCA church closer to the house Grace Church over in Chinatown. Now Grace doesn't have it's own building and thus is housed in the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church and has services at 5pm.

We arrived about 15-10 minutes before service to do that very American thing of "getting a good seat." I was venturing towards the left side when the Help suggested the balcony. So we went up and I noticed it was an old building with old building/ little money for 'historic maintenance problems. As the church was filling up we noticed something. The kids filling the pews looked about college aged. It was like we were attending some college lecture. I swear the average age of the congregation was about 25, only because there were a handful of senior citizens. If the old people stayed home, I'd say the average age was about 22. As part of that evening's service there was a baptism of one of the elder's kids. The elder couldn't be more than 35. The pastor was 45. At least there was someone older than us who wasn't retired.
Besides feeling like the cougar and the old guy in the club the church was quite nice.

Oh there was one odd thing. The greeting, or in some traditions, the peace. Now I'm accustomed to the shaking of hands and saying , "G-d's peace," and moving on to the next person. For about 2-3 minutes this church turns into a college meet and greet. I had shaken hands and turned to the people on the other side of me, when I noticed they were quite involved in introducing themselves and giving the "who am I " spiel. So I turned back to the set of people I had introduced myself to and they were carrying on a conversation about who they were and what brought them to DC, blah, blah, blah. I turned to the Help and remarked that, "this is different."

The music was good. Jazzy. There were a few traditional hymns and a few 20th/21st Century ones, with one "Jesus is my girlfriend" P&W song. The closing hymn "I'll fly away" was great and we clapped. It has been so long since I've clapped along in church, it was great. However, the Help started clapping. Unfortunately the Help claps like a white guy. I had to grab his hands and stop him. Later he confessed that he clasps like a white guy because he is a white guy. He also confessed that he wanted the balcony seat to see any balding heads.

PCA vs everyone else

Once again my beloved is getting circular again in worrying about the fact that I'm now catholic and he's presbyrterian, specifically PCA. He really focuses in on the Roman Catholic part, however I think we'd still have the same problem if I were still Episcopalian. I'm trying to be all Alfred Newmanish about it, "What me worry?" and all, and let him do all the fretting. The 'why' of all the different demonimations also confuses and flusters him. I, say no big deal. Mainly because I refuse to drive myself crazy about it. Hey, my parents are Baptist and just as much loved by G-d. He's bothered by the differences in our faith practices and the differences between the PCA and the PCUSA. I think his mom is PCUSA.
Protestant demonimations can break off into various little bits. I figure that's the nature of em. We had a talk about the PCA and how strict- orthodox- [insert preferred adjective here] it is.
I couldn't help to think of this joke:

I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump. I ran over and said: "Stop. Don't do it."
"Why shouldn't I?" he asked.
"Well, there's so much to live for!"
"Like what?"
"Are you religious?"
He said: "Yes."
I said: "Me too. Are you Christian or Buddhist?"
"Christian."
"Me too. Are you Catholic or Protestant?"
"Protestant."
"Me too. Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?"
"Baptist."
"Wow. Me too. Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?"
"Baptist Church of God."
"Me too. Are you original Baptist Church of God, or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?"
"Reformed Baptist Church of God."
"Me too. Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915?"
He said: "Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915."
I said: "Die, heretic scum," and pushed him off.

Cut the joke down a bit, and exchange Baptist Church of God for PCA and Baptist Church of the Lord for PCUSA, and have the PCUSA as the jumper and you can have a similar joke, in my eyes.
But my love's concerns are serious, and he needs answers. He has his fears and worries, which might not be so if he was raised actively in a church.

I've become that woman

When I was a snarky teen, I and my friend Tracy made fun of those women in our differing churches, who overcome with emotion would sway and carry on in church. stand jump all that stuff associated with gettin caught up with the holy spirit. Well that crossed my mind in church as the cantor went into the second part of his negro spiritual melody. I can't really remember what the earlier part of the melody was, but the second part was "I don't feel no ways tired" (hear on YouTube if unfamiliar). And something began to well up inside of me. I wanted to sway, stand and just open myself up to the song and G-d's grace or whatever, I can't really explain it. Tears of joy did make it to the corners of my eyes and I did clap loudly at one point. The teens behind me, who hadn't really sat quiet snickered at my outburst.
So it has come full circle, I have been the teen, now I am that woman.

St. Mattress of the Holy Comforter

I try to avoid conversations where I will wind up saying really, really, super nice and kind people are going to Hell. I really try because I have no desire to be rude. But as of late I've been having conversations that force me into choosing to lie or be rude. My general desire is to avoid the conversation in the first place.
Anyway, I've been listening to a Unitarian. I don't believe Buddha, the Hindu gods, and everyone else's god is the same as mine. But I won't waste energy arguing this when the other person is invested in the all religions are the same philosophy. I simply prefer not to argue.
I believe in the great I AM, who is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The great three for one deal. I do not believe he is the same as the other gods that other humans worship. If he were the same as others he should have not bothered commanding that he is a jealous god, and the Israelites should have no other gods before him. That would have been a good opportunity to mention how he revealed himself to other nations in different forms, but he didn't. So I'll take him at his word he's it, the one and only.
Also there is the matter of Jesus. If you want just a Jewish teacher, go with Hillel the Elder. Jesus was the Word made flesh, the Lamb of G-d, not just some teacher. I do not drag myself to church almost every week, for a watered down deity, a nice guy, and warm and fuzzy teacher. If that were the case I'd switch to St. Mattress of the Holy Comforter. It is a warm and inviting space, with no liturgy, no creeds, or doctrine. Just think pleasant thoughts and feel the warmth. Or throw off the Holy Comforter if it gets too hot. Unfortunately, there comes a time when the Church of the morning springs calls and you have to get up.
Seriously, I want to sleep in all weekend.

Well got that over with

Yesterday I finally did what I didn't bother doing 18 years ago in Gainesville, FL at St. Augustines.
Today, I am enjoying a traditional Easter Sunday. I'm staying home. My aunt pestered me on why I stay home, what reasoning was behind it. Not a good one, I admitted, but I wasn't going to tell her what it was. But it is now a tradition of mine, something I've been doing for about 15 years (with a few exceptions), I see no reason to break tradition.

This Weekend

Friday I, well the whole block and several parts of the neighborhood lost power for about 24 hours. I was able to sneak in a quick shower in the morning, but as night descended I deserted the house and found shelter at DC Education Blog's family home. I stayed there for the night and the family showed me a hospitality that makes me very thankful to have them (even the nutty little chicklettes) in my life. After some good waffles and laughable antics by 3 year olds, I came back home.
While reading the Watchmen, I had the radio on and heard a wonderful acapella song, a lovely gospel song, "G-d is Good." (Youtube). As soon as the DJ announced the artist behind it I went to iTunes and bought it. I played it over and over and went I went to bed parts of the song kept bouncing around in my head. One of the reasons why it is a good song is that is like a hymn that calls for others to sing along, regardless of vocal talent. Another reason is that it builds. First she sings that 'he brought me out of darkness', then 'he saved my soul and brought me out of darkness', building on with other elements til at the end she sings:

I said that he healed my every sickness, with no money in my pocket, he still made a way out of no way, then he put food--- on my table, then he put shoes--- on my feet, so he could guide my every foot step, Jesus saved--- my soul, and then he brought me out of darkness.
G-d Is Good----.

Ash Wednesday is coming up. I think, depending on the hour, I'll be doing Christ Church as I'm not sure if my place is with Immaculate Conception as of yet. I admitted to Sam the caretaker at CC I was moving to another church when he noted that he doesn't see me around as much at CC. He asked pretty pointed questions, asking if the new church was Episcopalian. He probably was wondering if I was attending his church, which is 1 block from the house. No, I gave him my cop out reason, the same one I gave B & IT (yes, what do the atheistic/agnostic Jews care, but I keep them aware of my life)... 15 minutes after waking up I can be in a pew at IC. IT didn't think convenience was a valid excuse.

Sing

Watching a foreign TV show I lamented the fact that pub life in the UK is waning. There is no place to join with others and sing. Then I remembered church. The one place where you can join with others to sing.