My Search For Faith

Most people who know me will tell you that I am not a bible-thumper. I'm not an in your face, fire and brimstone, Westboro nut job. I do believe in God, however, and I'm not afraid to talk openly about my faith. If you don't believe what I believe, you go right ahead. I'll still talk to you, we can be friends. I'll ask you questions about your faith, or lack thereof, without judgement. I'll still treat you like a human being. If you want to join me and find out more, be my guest.

Who remembers this?

LUTHERAN

When I was born my family was Lutheran, and we went to the Incarnation Lutheran Church in Poway, CA. My dad was a Sunday School teacher there and I'm pretty sure I could recite the Lord's Prayer and all the titles of the books in the Old Testament before I could say the Pledge of Allegiance. For those unfamiliar with Lutheran 101, here are the cliffs notes. About 500 years ago a German Friar named Martin Luther (no not MLK) got mad at the Catholic Church. He felt it was getting too commercial, with the ability to atone for sin by buying God's grace with earthly money. He wrote a paper in Latin protesting (where we get the word Protestant) to this type of thing called The Ninety-Five Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgence and nailed it to the church door. Some drama ensued, he was kicked out, and he started his own church. I can only assume he dropped whatever passed as a microphone back then as he left.

What's Latin for: Like A Boss?

Even though we moved to Ramona, CA. in the second grade, we continued attendance and I was confirmed there in the fifth grade. I still remember my first communion, with the little wafers and that little shot glass full of - bleh! What was that?!

My face...probably

For me it was a social right of passage, more than a holy spirit kind of thing. I understood the words and sang the songs but if I'm going to be honest, at 11 years old I can't say I felt it in my soul.

METHODIST

Sometime in middle school we started looking for a church closer to home. After trying out a few churches we landed at the Ramona United Methodist Church. The United Methodist Church has a few fun quirks of it's own. You see it was founded about 300 years ago by a minister named John Wesley, and his brother Charles.

The Brothers Wesley and their other friends at Oxford College founded the Holy Club where they would systematically go about their rounds, preach at the prisons, take communion weekly, and go about what they believed was a Holy Lifestyle in a very structured and predictable manner. They were so predictable that other students began calling them Methodists. The Wesleys said, hey that's not bad. So they took the name and ran with it. One of the most interesting things today about the Methodist Church is the fact that all the pastors serve a term limit, and then move to a new church. This rotation is called a circuit, named after the Methodist Circuit Riders from the 1700's that would go from town to town, spreading the gospel.

We were college hipsters before it was cool

I stayed with the Methodist Church through my teen years and young adulthood. It's where I was married and two of my kids were baptized. As I got older, work started taking more of my time, and I started to think of church as a social thing. Something expendable, that was better left in the past, like a childhood toy that was better left as a memory.

WHERE I AM TODAY

Over the last few years, I have seen my family cohesion begin to deteriorate, I've lost my job, I've engaged in some failed business ventures, and I think it's safe to say that I am at the lowest point I've ever been. Then one day not long ago it hit me like a ton of bricks, I haven't been to church in forever. I think I was so busy asking God for a sign that I failed to see what was right in front of me. I'll let Jim Carrey illustrate.

https://youtu.be/p68zH_Dw0Zw

I tried out a few Menifee Churches. I went to Renewal Of Life Christian Fellowship at Mesa View Elementary near my house. The congregation is small, but I immediately felt welcomed. Bishop G.W. Thomas told me the story of how they started, and I have to say for those of faith, you'll find it compelling.

Bishop Thomas lived in Riverside at the time, and since he hadn't yet found a church, he began to teach his children stories from the Bible on Sundays. Eventually his children invited their friends, and those children brought their parents. Eventually one Sunday he looked up and realized that he had close to 60 people in his living room. He looked to God at that moment and said "If this is your plan for me, so be it". Eventually they moved to Menifee, and gained access to the Mesa View multipurpose room, and they are still growing.

Then I got an invitation to check out Impact Church in Menifee, on New Hub Cir. off of Haun Rd. A church that was founded when two smaller churches combined their efforts, and through the grace of God they have grown, and are positioned to expand their facility. They believe in taking an active stance in their community and in the world.

Both churches had their own uniqueness to offer, and I believe that I would be doing my religious duty by attending either one, but obviously I had to do my best to figure out what God wanted me to do. After some prayer I realized that I could serve my best at Impact Church, so I filled out the volunteer paperwork, and I plan to attend the next available Point Of Impact class, a small group class designed to introduce people to the church.

I've already noticed a difference at home. I just pray that I'm able to serve in a way that is deemed sufficient, and that I listen more closely when prompted.