he is risen!

...okay, I'm just joking. But we did go to church today, if you can believe it. We've passed this particular church a dozen times on our walks to & from Mount Tabor, and we've always thought about attending, just to see what it's all about. We figured Easter Sunday was as good a day as any to sneak in & out, fly under the radar, & generally avoid any big fuss. Unfortunately, there was no holiday hoard. There appeared to be about 40 families in attendance & everyone knew everyone else. Except us. The Pastors introduced themselves right away & informed us generously that children were welcome & no one would be bothered a bit if they cried, or hollered or ran around. In fact, they directed my eyes to a wide, open area near the front where kids were able to run about during services. There was even a box of toys to occupy them. There were lots of other younger couples with kids, as well as your usual assortment of blue-haired old ladies & even several gay couples.

I think we may return. It was theologically more traditional than I would prefer, but there aren't any Unitarian churches in our neighborhood & I think staying local trumps theology for me at this point. The primary reason we're interested in finding a church is to find a community of people that share our values. I am genuinely concerned that X have some sort of foundational background in the teachings of the Christian church, namely because my parents will surely attempt to evangelize him as soon as he is old enough to listen. I don't want him to be blindsided. I don't want him to think his parents aren't "saved" (even though we're not, according to how most idiots understand the term) I want him to understand that there is a way to be a Christian (a little Christ) that does not involve oppressing homosexuals, being careless about the created world & denying responsibility for the plight of the poor. I want him to learn about the real message of Jesus, as opposed to the misunderstanding that has passed for Christianity these many centuries.