I went to see my Church today. That might sound weird to you if you are aware that I'm not a christian but still am a member of a church who participates in their activities. A lot of people who aren't religious prefer to stay away from such places as they feel intimidated by saying prayers, taking communion and singing hymns etc that they don't believe in. I don't believe in a God but I do believe in a spiritual energy that everyone can chose to manifest in if they want and however they want to improve their lives. This is different for everyone and I know that religious people do experience this. Just a bit differently.
The reason why I still visit this Church is because when I walk into it, the decoration is so beautiful and the quietness makes me feel so peaceful. It gives very good vibes. The people there aren't pushy with their beliefs and opinions- including the vicar. The tea and coffee after the service gives you the chance to get to know the people.
I enjoyed singing the hymns and at times where I didn't, I got the chance to listen to the amazing vocalist sitting at the back.
I didn't say all of the prayers aloud out of respect but I do read them along as I hear the other people around me chanting them in unison and I interpret them in a different way as I do. This makes it more comfortable for me to feel part of the service and the Church.
I very much appreciated the reading as I interpreted that in my own way too. I simply replaced the word 'God' to whatever it was that I believed for instance. (I wish I brought back the verse with me to put on here because the meaning behind it was very beautiful.)
I don't pray but hearing the list of prayers for the world really gave me a good 3 minutes to reflect on what's going on out there. Quite similar to when we give a minute of silence on remembrance Sunday.
Although I'm baptised, I didn't take communion out of respect. Instead, I received a blessing which is also really nice small gift.
I hope you read this and realise that you are still capable of enjoying a service at any place of worship. Unless of course they think less of you for not believing in the same thing and continue to attempt to justify that you're not living the right way and that you should change. Stay away from places like that, they can be very selfish and manipulative. I digress. It's not just all about having faith or belief in a God. It can be about taking some time to yourself to get out of your usual habitat and experiencing a different culture. It can be like a 2-3 hour retreat from wherever it is you need to get away from. The way you experience things in life is personal and individual.
You don't have to be boy to play football. You don't have to be American to go to America. You don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy the vegetarian options on a menu. You can even be straight and still attend an LGBT+ support group or event. It actually makes people really happy when you begin to share some of their experiences. Labels like Christian, Jew, Muslim, Atheist etc separate us from each other but in reality none of these cultures completely restrict the option of you to experience things from the viewpoint that I've just described. Just keep in mind that there are some precautions to make of dress and behaviour in particular places to make sure you don't offend the people.
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