On the Hunt

Let the search begin: the Swans are looking for a church! I’ve been saying for a while now that I’d like Mr. Cob and I to find a church where we feel comfortable and can see ourselves becoming a part of. Admittedly, I haven’t done much to further this desire, but that’s about to change.

About two years ago we found a Lutheran church in Midtown that we both liked – Lutheran Church of the Redeemer on Peachtree. Mr. Cob grew up a Lutheran, so we thought that would be a good starting point – at least one of us was comfortable with its teachings and philosophy. We both really liked the pastor and felt that his services were not overly “preachy” (one of my fears) and we could relate to what he was saying. But we fell off the wagon and stopped going. And now it turns out that particular pastor is no longer with the church. I think we’ll definitely check it out again, but there were a few things that I didn’t particularly like about the church. I felt that there weren’t too many people there around our age – it was mainly older families. And they all seemed to be of the “upper class” Buckhead types, which just doesn’t resonate with me. In a word, it felt stuffy.

I didn’t grow up going to church on a regular basis. Part of the reason is that we moved every couple of years and it seemed that by the time my parents found a church they liked, we moved again. In California we went to the Crystal Cathedral who’s mission is “"To inspire and motivate persons through possibility thinking to grow in a loving relationship with Jesus Christ so they can be the persons God dreams, desires, and designed them to be." I went to Sunday school and remember the Christmas and Easter services were especially grand. In Virginia I don’t remember going to church aside from holidays. And then in Boston we went to the Unitarian Universalist church in our town. According to the UU website, “Unitarian Universalism is a caring, open-minded religion that encourages seekers to find their own spiritual path. Our faith draws on many religious sources, welcoming people with different beliefs. We are united by shared values, not by creed or dogma. Our congregations are places we gather to nurture our spirits and put our faith into action by helping to make our communities—and the world—a better place.” And once we moved to Georgia, we went to the Unity church. Unity’s website states that “Unity is a positive, practical, progressive approach to Christianity based on the teachings of Jesus and the power of prayer. Unity honors the universal truths in all religions and respects each individual's right to choose a spiritual path.” And then Mr. Cob and I were married by Brian, a Methodist pastor from my great aunt’s Methodist Church in Greenville, GA. Brian really opened my eyes and squashed a lot of my preconceived notions about “men of the cloth” and religion in general and piqued my interest in religion and finding a religious/spiritual home. If Brian had a ministry in Atlanta, without a doubt, we would be members of his church.

So between us, Mr. Cob and I have a wide range of religious exposure, which I feel is a testament to our openness on the subject. Ideally, I’d like to find a church where we connect with other couples and young families who are similar to ourselves. I’d like to find a place we are both comfortable and can grow in our spirituality individually and as a family. I’d also really like to find a place that our future children can flourish and have a religious home. Mr. Cob feels that being a part of church in his childhood was a positive experience and we’d both like that experience for our children.

So we are on the hunt. Over the next couple of months I plan for us to attend a variety of churches in the area with the intent of finding one we both like. We have at least two on the list, but are looking for suggestions of others to add. The first is Buckhead Church, which our good friends Katie & BJ attend. The second is giving the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer another go-round. Anyone out there have any thoughts or opinions on other places we should try?

My plan is to chronicle our experiences at the various churches we try, so check back for updates!