Friday, October 22, 2010

Intro to my faith

I was infant baptized 7 days after my birth at Good Shepherd church in Frankfort, Ky.  I attended Holy Guardian Angels church in Hyde Park, Pa with my mother and Friedens Evangelical Lutheran Church of America in Oley, Pa with my father.  I always say that my mother wouldn't change because she went to Catholic school growing up and my father's father was a Lutheran Pastor.

My brother, sister and I had to go to both churches until we reached the time of confirmation and then we could choose which church to be confirmed in and continue to attend.  I chose the Lutheran mostly because the people there were like a family to me, and they still are.  I also was involved with the youth group at the church and went to a Bear Creek Camp, a ELCA camp, every summer for 9 years.

During my first semester at college I meet a group of students who went to a bible study called Christian Student Union.  They invited me to eat with them in the school cafeteria.  I became friends with many of them.  I didn't go to their bible study till my 2nd year.  And during the spring semester I heard about a weekend retreat they were going to attend and I had fond memories of retreats as a youth, so I went with them.

At the retreat there was this speaker, I don't remember his name, but I do remember during the Saturday evening session he told us that we could have a personal relationship with God.  When he asked if anybody wanted to begin a relationship with God I came forward and I remember kneeling on the floor in front of a bunch of candles arranged in the shape of a cross.  I remember my knees hurt from kneeling on the hard floor, and someone saying something like "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak".  I also remember telling God that I didn't want to deal with all the junk in my life on my own.  I also remember everyone giving me hugs afterwards.

I continued to go to Christian Student Union and returned to the retreat every fall and winter that I could.  I made many friends at both places.  They reminded me of youth group, youth retreats and summer camp.  The music was modern, and the lessons were relevant.

At some point I realized I should start going to a church regularly.  My college town didn't have a Lutheran congregation but I was told the Episcopal church is the closest I could find there.  I started attending Calvary Episcopal Church.  It was a beautiful little church with a small older congregation.  It was like going to church with a bunch of grandparents.  The organist was a great guy who had traveled the world and could play numerous songs by heart.  I brought my trumpet with me and had a great time playing along with him.  I think I was the youngest person there by about 30 years.  They were great people and cared a lot about me.

During my last semester I went to Boomer Church of Christ in Boomer, Wv.  Another small church full of people of all ages.  I remember mostly that they sang all their songs without musical accompaniment.  I went there mostly because some of my friends attended there regularly.

After dropping out of college I tried going back to my dad's church, but just did not feel comfortable there.

While shopping one day I ran into a couple I know whose son I graduated from high school with.  They invited me to their church, New Life Bible Fellowship Church in Oley, Pa.  They mentioned that they have a young adults Sunday school class.  I knew about the church and remember some of my classmates who went there when I was a student.  But what really peaked my interest was finding that there would be other people there my age getting together like in college.

I think that is enough for now, I will continue this post at another time...

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