New Members Class

Last Sunday was new member's class.

Not much to log, except that I hold the honorary posts in the class of...

• Token Foreigner (the only person that did not originate in the good ol' US

and

• Token Heathen - the only person in the class without a Christian upbringing.

Pastor Ray noted that my "Heathen" status was too bad, and the conversational context overlaid the meaning that it was too bad that I was in the class.  Our class leader called him on it - good hilarity all 'round.

It is worth a couple of notes before we go too much further.  

Dictionary.com defines Heathen as follows:

–noun

1.

an unconverted individual of a people that do not acknowledge the God of the Bible; a person who is neither a Jew, Christian, nor Muslim; pagan.

2.

an irreligious, uncultured, or uncivilized person.

I may self-referentially call myself a heathen, and perhaps even get called one, with which I am fine.  The intent is to use it with the implied context that... 

1) does not contain derogatory connotations - I do not wish to demean myself, 

2) does not impart any dishonor or disrespect on the church that is my guide in this journey, and 

3) is fun and humorous.

Please post a comment if this (or anything else) is anything less than respectful and appreciative.  My intent is levity - I like to laugh, but if it's not right, I'd delight in changing for the better.

Back to the Story.

The only other observation of note from the new members class is that, on announcing my "heathen" status, Pastor Ray commented that "we'd have a number of talks" (paraphrasing).  I am delighted that he would be willing to make that investment.

Sounds like a good old Lutheran (or Canadian) "welcome - come on in".  What a great start.

Before the Beginning

First - Some History:

I'd better lay down some of the preconditions to this experiment / journey / revelation / ?.  Some of the history that I carry into this trek into the unknown.  I'll edit this post from time to time, as I recall or perhaps even  better understand my past.

The rule - nothing in this post can pertain to or be influenced by anything that happens after Jan 01 2009.  It is an arbitrary date, but one that I am sure represents history from a Christian spiritual awakening perspective.

Some points in my history that might be important.

• Grandpa - devout and restrictive Presbyterian.  Real big on authority, and on hellfire and damnation.  I never knew him, but his approach to things sure influenced my Dad, which in turn had a big influence on me.
• I went to Catholic sunday school once.  I was about 6 or seven I think.  All I recall is being extremely distraught at the thought of Christ on the cross, unable to bear weight on his wrists and relieve the pain in his feet, or on his feet to relieve the pain in his wrists.   Apparently I cried all through Sunday school, and all the way home.
• I used to help an old girl-friend when she went to teach Sunday school.  She used to refer to me as "her heathen".
• My Mom died when I was in 11th grade.  That event convinced me that there was good in even the most painful thing, largely due to the positive manner in which Mom bore her multi-year battle with cancer.  Out of that event I ended up convinced that being and doing good was important (a trivialization, but this is a short intro).  My best friend's mom died a month later, of a similar cancer, in an experience that seemed to me to be filled with pain and denial.  I became an informal humanist, he became a Mormon.
• more and deeper later.

My "Heathen" Status

It is worth a couple of notes before we go too much further.  

Dictionary.com defines Heathen as follows:

–noun

1.

an unconverted individual of a people that do not acknowledge the God of the Bible; a person who is neither a Jew, Christian, nor Muslim; pagan.

2.

an irreligious, uncultured, or uncivilized person.

I may self-referentially call myself a heathen, and perhaps even get called one, with which I am fine.  The intent is to use it with the implied context that... 

1) does not contain derogatory connotations - I do not wish to demean myself, 

2) does not impart any dishonor or disrespect on the church that is my guide in this journey, and 

3) is fun and humorous.

Please post a comment if this (or anything else) is anything less than respectful and appreciative.  My intent is levity - I like to laugh, but if it's not right, I'd delight in changing for the better.