I am participating in 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes 2019 (all of my submissions can be found here).
Today’s prompt is: GATHER
This word brings up memories of hymns from my childhood.
Shall we gather at the river?
We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing…
I have been particularly remiss in the “gathering” part of my faith walk lately.
While I do “get” the fact that it can be worshipful to be alone at a sunrise, communing with your higher power or on a mountaintop (OK, I don’t personally KNOW about the mountaintop part) reveling in the majesty of nature, I also believe it’s important to gather with others to worship.
I’ve always said worship is the one hour out of my week that I take to make myself sit down and think about others, while reflecting on how I am living out my faith as I see it.
I often hear people say (with good reason) “but organized religion has gotten so hypocritical.” And it’s true. No congregation I am going to walk into will be populated by people who demonstrate their beliefs flawlessly 100% of the time. Likewise, I present myself to them (and God) just as I am (I know — another hymn reference ha ha), willing to see how I could have behaved differently and learn how to be better to my fellow human beings in the week ahead.
I used to sit in the back of the church, there “just for the worship.” Once I had kids, by nature of children being more gregarious than I am, I had to mix with people when I gathered.
Turns out maybe God had something in mind when he gave me two outgoing children.

My mom was sad that I would never go to church with her (I’m the alone in nature girl), but there are very valid reasons behind it. It doesn’t make my faith less than.
I hear you on that! And I definitely didn’t intend to imply there’s a right or wrong choice, more to describe what works for me.
Community is important!
So important!
It was my young son that forced me into a new community 16 years ago. Now he’s 22 and they are my church family and I love them. I guess God knows what He’s doing. #8 on the Free Write.
My kids definitely got me out of the back row!