I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. And the reason I decided to start this blog is because I have a hunch that many of you feel the same way.
I want to teach my children (ages 5 and 4) that they are spiritual beings having a human experience. But I am not part of one singular religion telling me exactly how to do that. Thus, the not-knowing-what-I'm-doing part....
So want some background? Well, here ya go:
I grew up in a Church of Christ household in small-town Tennessee.
"Members of the Churches of Christ believe that Jesus founded only one church, that the current divisions among Christians do not express God's will, and that the only basis for restoring Christian unity is the Bible. They identify simply as "Christians", without other religious or denominational identification.They believe that they are recreating the New Testament church as established by Christ." - Wikipedia
I learned that only Christians could go to heaven. I learned that we are all terrible sinners who don't deserve God's love. I learned that all bad things are either God's plan, or the work of the devil (in which case, it would still be part of God's plan because He has allowed it to happen, right?). And I learned that any questions I had about these things were to be ignored, because they might lead me "astray."
But... the questions never went away.
It's too long a story to go into detail here, but as I got older, I realized that I didn't really fit in with my church. And after I went to college, I realized that I didn't really fit with Christianity as I knew it. So I left. (It's taken me years to be able to say that outloud.)
I've always been on a spiritual journey, and I expect to be on one for the rest of my life. But I don't want my children to feel as though they have nothing to ground them as they begin their own journeys into adulthood. I don't want them to one day find themselves bombarded with doctrine and ideas that they've never been exposed to before. I want them to know that they are part of something greater than themselves... something that loves them infinitely and connects all of humanity. And I want them to be comfortable with questions. Afterall, "if you are certain you know all the answers, you can't call what you do 'faith.'" (One of my favorite quotes from Brene Brown.)
[And I expect I'll have to delve into the whole "this-is-what-I-believe" box at some point, but today is not the day. Stick around and I'm sure it will happen.]
So here I am. Opening up to the world (or maybe 2 readers...) that I feel like I'm going it alone, even though I know there are lots of parents out there just like me. I no longer belong to a group that has most - if not all - of the answers, so I'm winging it. And you are welcome to wing it with me.
On this blog, I'll be sharing the ways I'm trying to teach my children about the great religions of the world, influential religious leaders, their own spiritual nature, and how to embrace and tackle the many questions about life that humans have been attempting to answer for thousands of years. You'll see me working through my own spiritual journey, while also - hopefully - guiding my children on their own spiritual paths.
This is a place of honesty, acceptance, and respect. No matter what your spiritual or religious beliefs, everyone is welcome. I hope you'll stay a while.
Kimberly- YES!! I'm so glad you're talking about this! I grew up in a house mostly without religion, so figuring out what I believe has been an interesting journey. My husband and I are both Christians who don't fit into any of the specific boxes avaliable. A few weeks ago, we started attending the local Methodist church because it's the best fit nearby. So far we like it. We started going out of a desire to give our son a church to grow up in, something my husband had and appreciated, and something I always wanted. Although I do want my child(ren) to grow up in a Christian home, I also want him to learn about other faiths, and select his own path after some exploration. I'm so grateful to be able to watch you on this journey!!
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Nikki, I forgot to ask if you had searched for a United Church of Christ nearby? I was a religious studies minor, and I had no idea this denomination existed until a couple of years ago. It's definitely a more liberal-leaning denomination, and might also be a good fit for you if you consider yourselves more moderate/liberal. The UCC have partnered with the UU's on lots of things, including coming up with the sexual education curriculum used within both denominations. Just wanted to pass that along! :)
DeleteI hadn't looked, but just did. That's a great suggestion, thank you! Nashville has 4 according to the UCC site, but all a ways a way from us. Churches are hard for me because I'm a libertarian really, so religiously I take the "love your neighbor" approach. I appreciate churches that can be a part of my journey without walking on top of others. So far the UMC here has been good. We have been going to the "contemporary" service, so perhaps that is part of it, but I get the impression the sermon is similar in both services. We'll see how this plays out a bit longer and go from there.
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