Becoming the church lady

I grew up Catholic but now go to an Episcopal church. Over the past five years, we've become more and more active in our church. It's a really great group of people, and we love our pastor. Plus, it's good for the Boo to have some religion in his life as he grows up. I know as someone who has suffered from depression, spirituality is important to me.

Starting recently, I have taken a more expanded role in our church, specifically in its decision-making body, after being asked to do so. I was flattered to be asked. I had my first meeting last night and really enjoyed it. But yet I worry about becoming the Church Lady like in that old SNL sketch, as M has been calling me. I love God and feel deeply connected with Him. But I don't want to come off as some Jesus freak.

What do you think?

My religious views, in a nutshell

To my Jewish friends

L'shanah tovah (Happy New Year).

Kirk Cameron finds Jesus

Just read this article about how the former Growing Pains star is now an evangelical. Interesting how/where people end up.

Holy Week news

According to this Newsweek article, nine out of 10 people believe in God, and many reject the theory of evolution. Secular society, my ass.

Oh, sweet latte

When I was a young Catholic girl, I used to joke I would give up peas for Lent. I hate peas. I can't look them in the face. They taste like vomit. But I digress. In the past year, I have become a more religious person, and now that the season of denial is upon us, I feel I need to give something up, something that means something to me, to make Lent more personally meaningful.

Chocolate? I can't do it for a day, never mind 40. Sex? Umm, NO. (You think I'm a bitch now?) Candy? Can't do it. Just can't.

So then it hit me: What place gives me an instant feeling of relaxation when I walk in the door? Whose products I crave? That's right: Starbucks. So I will not be consuming one of their sweet, sweet caramel dolce lattes or frappacinos or peppermint hot chocolates (drools on keyboard) until April 8. Let's see how long this will last.

What did you give up for Lent? How did you pick it?

BTW, M is thrilled.

Church guilt

Last Sunday, I decided I didn't feel like going to church. M leaves before me on Sunday mornings, since he teaches Sunday school, and asked me on his way out the door if I was going or not. I told him no, so he didn't go either. Since I sing in the choir, I feel bad. I did call the organist and let her know.

I am thrilled we found a parish home, and I like our church immensely. It's just that as a nice Catholic girl, it was drilled into my head that you MUST GO TO CHURCH EVERY WEEK. And some weeks I just don't feel like it. So I skip. And even though I'm an Episcopalian now, the ol' Catholic guilt comes raining down on me.

So tell me: If you go to church, do you go every week? Do you have similar guilt when you don't go?

Just got back from a week in California on business, and as usual, I'm sick as a dog. I always seem to get sick when I'm on the road. And now I have a doozy of a cold. California is an interesting place — they are digging on the governator Ahnold out there. I'm a liberal from Massachusetts, and I forget how other people live. I had dinner with an arch conservative, who, when I told him about Bushie boy's plan for the constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, said "Good." Orange County (or "The OC", as Fox viewers refer to it as) is known as the Bible Belt of California. Whatever.

I don't want to see "The Passion of the Christ." I read that several people on the set, including the actor who played Jesus, were hit by lightning. As a Roman Catholic, I take that to mean that God is none too happy. Plus, I'm sensitive, and the scenes of violence against Christ are supposed to be incredibly difficult to take.

I am really tired of snow and cold and winter. Granted, this is the time of the year where my allergies ans asthma are barely a factor, and for that I'm happy. However, lately on weekends I don't even leave the house, and that sucks. It's just too cold and snowy and slippery. My house looks amazing — M steamed the living room carpet last weekend after we took down the tree — but I am getting a bit stir crazy.

M wanted to go to church this morning. While my relationship with God is excellent, I feel, I really have this aversion to going. Maybe because it was drilled into my head to go when I was a gal, but I really can't sit there. I always feel good when I go, but getting there is a problem for me. We haven't set foot inside the church we got married in since we...got married. That was more than a year and a half ago. I do feel bad about that, since our priest was just wonderful that married us, but I just have a hard time getting going on Sunday mornings. I hope God understands.