Religion is going out of style.
It is not cool to believe in God anymore, it seems.
Only right-winged crazy conservatives believe in such a thing, and they will read the Bible to you until you pass out from exhaustion.
Newsflash folks, it is always socially acceptable to have faith.
I agree, religion is for the birds. I do not think I need to sit in an uncomfortable pew for an hour or two and listen to someone that studied the Bible in college for four years to tell me how to live my life. I have been reading the same book since I was seven; I think I know what it says by now.
I grew up in a very on and off again religious home.
The first church I attended was a Methodist church. The preacher was bald; his head became red when he became passionate during his sermons. The choir sang the same songs every week from the hymnal, and I anxiously waited the time I was dismissed to go to the kid’s class.
I remember learning about communion and the significance behind it as a young child. I remember the first time I was allowed to participate in communion. I was so nervous. We were given a piece of bread and were to dip it in the juice, but I thought the juice was actually blood. Once it was my turn to partake, I dropped my bread and ran out of the room crying.
Shortly after this incident, my family changed churches. My father’s friend recommended an Assemblies of God church close to our home.
The pastor there was the friendliest man I had ever met, and his wife was full of love. I felt comfortable there, even as a child.
Years past, I grew older as the pastor did. He felt it was time to retire.
The new pastor was from South Africa and was he ever Pentecostal.
He and his wife were very into revivals, casting out demons, speaking in the Holy Ghost’s language, and collecting money.
I believe this is where my confusion began, unknowingly.
I saw my church make a complete transformation.
Our relaxed worship services were now filled with flags, dancing, and elaborate performances. Men and women alike danced around the sanctuary giving praise to God. They spoke in unknown languages and others would translate it to English, by the power of God, so the congregation would understand the message. Women began hysterically laughing, filled with the joy of the spirit.
I was taught this was normal. This was my religion.
Once I became a teenager, I could finally participate in the church’s youth group. I was so excited.
The church recently hired a new youth pastor. He reminded me a lot of my brother-in-law. I was already close with his wife from working with her in the newly renovated kid’s church. Everything was perfect for me.
Our youth services were much different from those held in the main sanctuary.
No one was waving flags; no one was running around, no one was shouting messages in unknown languages. People were just praying. People were socializing. People were being themselves.
This was my religion.
This would not last forever though.
Soon enough the church hired another new pastor and a new youth pastor.
The new pastor and his wife reminded me much of the first pastor’s I encountered at the church. I hoped for things to go back to normal, for the performances and acts to end. They did.
However, they began appearing in the youth group.
Everything became about showmanship. The focus was not right.
This was not my religion.
I began to study the Bible for myself, figure out what my take on everything was.
From that day on, I have never proclaimed a religion. I am not Pentecostal, I am not Catholic, I am not Baptist, and I am myself.
I have faith in the Lord. I have seen too many miracles to not.
Some say it is by chance that things happen. If things just happen by chance, why have goals? Why sit through four to five years of expensive classes to get a piece of paper? If everything is by chance, things will happen when they happen.
I believe everything happens for a reason.
I have faith. I have faith in the Lord. I have faith in my family. I have faith in myself.
Religion may be for the older generations, it is something they are used to. It sure is not for everybody.
Faith is something completely different from religion. Faith is hope. Hope for a better tomorrow, hope for a cure for cancer, hope in finding love.
Maybe it is not the cool thing to have faith. For me, faith will never be just a trend.
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