We had a great weekend, but yesterday was particularly wonderful. My longest, lifelong girlfriend is in town for our class reunion. She's been here for a week to spend extra time with her siblings. She contacted me Saturday night and asked if we could go to church and brunch afterward Sunday morning.
Cyd and I met in first grade (have I told this story before?) when she walked into the classroom as a new student. Our teacher always assigned a current student to shepherd the new student around school so they wouldn't feel overwhelmed. Our teacher chose me to be that person for Cyd (then Cindy). Well, we hit it off, learned she also lived close to our house, and the rest is history. We've been best friends ever since - a total of 62 years.
I quickly learned that not only did we share a school, but her family was also Methodist, so we also would attend the same church. Our families used to walk to church together, and her parents and mine also became good friends. We went to the same church until after graduation when Cyd's studies and life carried her away from Fond du Lac, and marriage eventually led me away from town, too.
Handsome and I continued worshiping at that church, as he was also Methodist, and in those years, we had a booming congregation. There were usually 350 people gathering on a regular Sunday and two to three times that on Christmas and Easter. We served on church committees and were active in fundraising for a new building when the church that held our families for so many generations began to crumble. They were good years.
Yesterday morning, I met my dear friend at the church and we held hands as we frequently have through the years. We worshiped together, greeted the other parishioners and looked at old photographs on the wall in the fellowship hall. One photograph showed the then minister with a number of Sunday school teachers and children standing on the front steps of the church. I immediately pointed out my mum and little sister in the photo. Cyd wondered where we were, and I found myself first and then Cyd next to me. We had to smile at the shared memory.
When we got to the restaurant for brunch, we began our conversation talking about the church. Both of us were sad. The pews were mostly empty. I counted fewer than fifty people in the sanctuary...and there were no children. Not one. Most of the people were our age or older. We felt like we were attending a dying church and we talked about it for quite a while.
I know there are many reasons why people no longer attend church. Heck. I've been one of them. We live in a rural area. Things to do at home, and while Handsome and I are spiritual, there were changes in the church that we didn't agree with. Even so, Sunday is going to live in my head for a while. I'm going to discuss it with my husband, and I'm going to pray on it.
I know this isn't at all my usual sort of post, but I'm wondering what you might feel about organized religion and attending church these days. Is church no longer important in our lives? No judgment whatsoever. Please share your thoughts if you're so moved - and thanks in advance.
