Why attend a church? For a religious liberal, the answer is not obvious, and we inhabit the borderland between the churched and the unchurched. Within my non-church social groups, it is almost embarrassing to say I go to a church, and many seem to regard me with some suspicion, as though they are not sure I am stable or sane.
So why be part of a church, if you do not believe it is a matter of divine command? For me, the answer is all about community.
I grew up without a church. I grew up with hippie liberal freedom, and the encouragement to seek spirituality as a private affair. And then I did something, at the tender age of 16, that broke the norms of my family - I started attending a Unitarian Universalist church.
Why? I get asked that all the time now, and I always answer "community". Where else do you find a community that challenges you to be a better person and will circle the wagons for you whenever you need help? Where can you improve yourself, do good for your larger community, and find lifelong friendships?
Tonight I welcomed 13 young adults into my home for a BBQ dinner, kicking off our new young adult group for the year. We had a group returning from last year, and we had four brand new freshmen from the nearby college, and community was achieved. I was delighted to see how these kids, new to town, new to college, new to adulthood, were welcomed and embraced.
Community.
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