I was not a church-goer growing up. My parents tried some churches when we first moved to Livermore but did not find the right fit for us. Our Sundays were spent together on family outings – sometimes to San Francisco, or to a museum, and most often on that now extinct adventure of a “Sunday drive”. We would pack a picnic lunch and head out in any direction from home, just to see what we could find that day. Wonderful times spent together.
It wasn’t till I graduated from college that I started attending church. A new friend invited me to join her on Sunday morning. She had that inner something that made me want to find it too. So I joined her that summer, and when she went back to college for her senior year, I kept going. I’ve been attending church regularly ever since then, and it is a very important part of my week.
I find making it to church each week keeps me connected – with God and my faith, and with my community.
I’m not as disciplined as I’d like at reading the Bible on my own, so the Sunday morning lessons give me that all-important link to God’s word. The sermon, whether by Lori+, Anna+, Brian or an occasional guest, gives me good guidance for the week ahead. And serving as a Eucharistic Minister each month, both offering the wine at the altar and leading the prayers of the people is a wonderful way to deepen the strength of my beliefs. When I miss a week or two I feel the gap in the continuum of my journey.
Regular attendance allows me to have a deeper connection with my community that is St James’. We know each other’s lives, sharing the joys, difficulties, happiness and distress. We know when someone’s grandchild succeeds, or when a family member is in the path of the oncoming hurricane on the East Coast. We celebrate the good times, and offer support when one of us hurts. When mom was sick, my friends at St James’ listened when I needed an ear, asked about her each week, and ultimately allowed me to grieve with them when the time came. The support of my St James’ family made a huge difference in the way I was able to process her death.
I still enjoy a good museum or an afternoon outing, now I make sure it comes after church.
~Laura Winter