Why do I go to church
“Whoever you are
and wherever you are on your journey of faith, know that you are most welcome
here”…these words were the first ones spoken when I arrived at Living Waters on
Easter Sunday in 2011…and boy did you guys set the bar high…
Bob and Suzie
Chilcoat sat in front of us that day and immediately turned around to greet us
during the Passing of the Peace…Liz Quade cornered me before I left the
building to ask me to join the choir.
Pastor Lee called us the next week to welcome us as visitors to the
church.
I’ve been in a lot
of churches in my life. I thought the
honeymoon period would end. I thought
the smiles would wane. I thought the
kind words would end. They didn’t. I must admit to being puzzled at first. “Is this how these people are, like, all the
time?”
It seemed a bit
unreal.
So, when the
request came for me to do a Temple Talk about why I attend Living Waters, I
thought…well, why do I?
This question
seems to be a common one in my life recently.
A few weeks ago, visiting my sister, who does not attend church anymore,
my brother-in-law asked me why I attended church.
At work, I
mentioned that I played the piano for church and one of my colleagues asked me
why I went to church.
So I thought about
it. While I am a lifelong Lutheran and
have been a member of a church for my entire life, that’s not a reason to go to
church.
Some may think
that they are closer to God in a church.
But I don’t believe that God only exists in this building so, that’s not
a reason to go to church.
Some may think
it’s because church makes you a better person.
But there are a lot of good people who don’t come to church, so that’s
not a reason to go to church.
It’s not about why
I go to church. It’s about why I come to
Living Waters, specifically.
Why do I come to
Living Waters?
I come to Living
Waters because this is what I imagine when I think of living my faith. I think of this community that cares about
its members, this membership that truly loves each other, this group that
accepts and includes all who show up. I
have bragged to others about our inclusivity, about our acceptance, about our
welcoming of all. Regardless of the
baggage we bring, the struggles we handle, the questions, doubts, joys or
issues that we deal with, we are welcome.
I come to Living
Waters because I love being a part of this community. A community that offers compassion instead of
judgment, welcome instead of dismissal, invitation instead of rejection.
A group that makes
me want to be better than I am.
And I think that's what church is supposed to be.
We talk a lot about faith. We talk about loving our
neighbors, accepting one another, forgiving one another, and caring for those
who need it. Those are wonderful things to talk about. But what I love about
Living Waters is that I see those things put into practice. Not just on Sunday
mornings, not just in the words we say, but in the little things we do every
day.
It's in the phone call when someone hasn't been around in a
while. It's in the meal delivered when someone is struggling. It's in the
willingness to listen when someone needs to talk. It's in the smile offered to
someone who may be walking through our doors for the very first time, wondering
if they'll fit in.
It's in making room for people who don't necessarily look
like us, think like us, believe exactly like us, or have the same answers we
do.
And perhaps most importantly, it's in understanding that we
don't have to have it all figured out to belong here.
I don't come to Living Waters because I have all the
answers. I come because I know I can bring my questions. I don't come because
my faith is always strong. I come because sometimes it's not. I don't come
because my life is perfect. I come because it isn't.
But those little things can be enormous to the person
receiving them.
I know, because I was that person.
I walked through the doors of Living Waters on Easter
Sunday in 2011, and a handful of people made me feel welcome. They probably
don't remember every detail of that morning. But I do. And the welcome I
received that day has never really stopped.
I come because I want to be part of a community that looks
a little more like the world I believe God wants us to create. A community
where love is more than a word, where acceptance is more than a slogan, and
where welcome is more than something we say at the beginning of a service.
I come because this place reminds me that faith isn't just
something we believe. It's something we do. It's something we live. And it's
something we share with one another.
And I hope that we never lose sight of how powerful that
is.
Because somewhere out there, someone is going to walk
through those doors for the first time. They may be nervous. They may be
hurting. They may be searching. They may not even know exactly what they're
looking for.
And I hope we greet them the way I was greeted that Easter
Sunday in 2011.
I hope someone turns around during the Passing of the
Peace. I hope someone takes the time to introduce themselves. I hope someone
makes an invitation. I hope someone reaches out the following week.
I hope they hear those same words:
"Whoever you are and wherever you are on your journey
of faith, know that you are most welcome here."
And I hope, years from now, they are standing up here,
telling their own story about why they come to Living Waters.
Because that's why I come.
Not simply because this is my church.
But because this is a community that has shown me what it
looks like to live our faith.
And I am grateful to be a part of it.
Thank you.
Kristen
Whatever happened this past week slips away as we walk through the doors of Living Waters on a Sunday morning. The sense of relief, support from truly caring people and of course the spiritual and pastoral leadership of Pastor JJ provides inspiration to keep us moving in the best direction supporting the Lord’s work. Peace and blessings to all.
Paul
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In the summer of 2016, Nancy and I heard the greeting, “No matter where you are on the journey of faith, you are most welcome here.” We found Living Waters through a Google search and had never heard of the ELCA before.
Finding Living Waters was a very powerful experience for us. Not growing up in the Lutheran tradition, we were deeply touched by things that may be easy to take for granted. Seeing that men and women were treated equally in terms of ministry was profound. Participating in worship with a female pastor has filled us with joy. Six years later it still touches us. The democratic structure of Living Waters affirms our shared ministry. Voting for the annual budget, the building expansion and for a new pastor was liberating. Learning that Living Waters is a Reconciling in Christ church demonstrates a commitment to radical love and openness to all regardless of sexual identity, race, nationality, or religious denomination. Over time, it was very evident that this was not a church absorbed with right beliefs and dogma, but rather a church committed to service to one another, a commitment to living the Gospel message. Living Waters brings us great joy. We have grown in that joy as we have gotten to know the members of this congregation better. Living Waters is the Church that we always longed for and finally found. But I don’t believe that we actually found Living Waters. I truly believe that we were led here by the hand of God.
Bob and Nancy
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I started attending Living Waters a few years ago. After a few months of feeling it was the right place to me, my granddaughter came out as a transgender woman. I said to the pastor, “I now know why this is the church for me. She’d be welcome here.” I still love that Living Waters is one of the most inclusive churches I’ve ever attended.
Chris
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To me, Living Waters is more of an extended family, than a simple "congregation." There is such care shown within our community, and that care extends outside our church walls, too! We, together in a community of faith, tackle some tough questions together in a safe and brave space, so we are better prepared to navigate a complex and complicated world. We welcome and invite you to participate in our social activities and/or worship service which is rooted in Word, sacrament, music, service, sharing of the peace, and preparing us to be living examples of how to love our neighbors. If you are white, brown, Black, or somewhere in between, we see you, invite you, and welcome you to participate in our community. If you are straight, gay, trans, questioning, or non-binary, we see you, invite you, and welcome you to worship with us in an inclusive community. Wherever you are on your faith journey, we see you, invite you, and welcome you to join us in a relaxed and approachable worship service that celebrates our relationship with God. No matter how you identify, you are welcome here.
Craig
