Saturday, 28 March 2009
-
Calling
I am back -- again. I do not know why I felt compelled to come back tonight, but I did. I am going to come back more often and write because I feel compelled to write. I feel like I have pertinent issues and topics to discuss now, especially with all the issues I have encountered the past few weeks.
An update -- I have switched churches and am attending a bible church in the suburbs of Austin. I love it! In addition, I am attending Celebrate Recovery at this church, which I recommend for anyone who has unresolved issues in his or her life. Earlier this semester, I tried going back to the Catholic Church. I attended for a few weeks ... but then my desire to attend deteriorated. I entered a temporary spiritual rut. I realized, though, that I was attending out of guilt and tradition. I felt blessed for my upbringing. God, though, wanted me to go in a different direction.
The best part about the church is the candor of its worshippers. These people know they are infallible and are not afraid to admit their habits, hurts and hang-ups. They throw their hands up in the air and ask for God's mercy. They tell you their problems and issues and welcome you to reciprocate that action. They want to know you. Now, for someone who has grown up in the Catholic Church, this seems, well, downright terrifying for obvious reasons:
1. Reconciliation was between you and a Priest. Yet, I realized I deprived myself for so many years of the accountability I needed and craved. (It is not that Catholic Churches cannot have accountability.)
2. Fellowship was nonexistent. You attended Church, tithed weekly and participated in religious classes weekly.
3. The sense of community was nonexistent. Outside of my peers from school who I attended my church, I knew no one.
*This is based on my experiences with the Catholic Church.
Now, I feel inspired and blessed and just filled with joy. I want to become more involved, but I am hesitant because I may leave Austin at the end of July (depending on where and if I am hired). I want to stay in Austin, though, and continue to attend this church because for the first time, I feel like I belong. Wow, sometimes, those words just hit me. I belong to a church now. Wow.
If I am hired to work in Austin, my goal is to lead a group of seventh, eighth or ninth graders at this church. I want to become a small group leader -- which can be done at any church, of course -- for younger girls in such an impressionable time in their lives. Not only do I want to praise and worship God with these wonderful girls and explore the different books of the Bible, but I also want to instill important messages in them regarding their bodies and their health and their mind. I want them to learn how to combat negative media images and this dangerously promiscuous nature of this world. I want them to learn why they are important to God and why they are beautiful -- and which boys to avoid. Most importantly, though, I want to share my difficulties with them and the ways I overcame these difficulties. I just feel called to do this.
I guess the point of this message was to inform you of my life and for what I am praying -- the opportunity to grow with this wonderful church and work with these young girls.
God bless, Lisa
-
recommend
- recs 0
-
share
-
email
- sent 0
Post a Comment