As I was growing up, my family went to church a lot, really a lot; in fact, our family life revolved around involvement in our Baptist church. We attended the same church as my grandparents did, 3 generations sitting in the pew together every Sunday. My family definitely did not “neglect the meeting together” of the saints; I attended Sunday worship, followed by Sunday School (adults, too), Sunday evening service, Wednesday prayer meeting, youth group, Vacation Bible School, and Pioneer Girls. I taught Sunday School when I was older. My parents’ closest friends were members of “Home Builders”, a close-knit group of church friends who bonded while raising their children and continued to socialize long after the children were grown. I felt loved and cared for by the older members in my home church, it was a safe and affirming place; I have fond memories of one of the older gentlemen, who every week handed me a stick of Blackjack gum. Yes, it was a church of mostly “don’ts” (dancing, drinking, smoking, cards, movies) and for way too long we had a rigid, authoritarian pastor, but for the most part, it was a good learning experience. These experiences helped to build a very strong spiritual foundation in my life, a foundation that has not crumbled over the decades.
My church served as a jumping-off point to explore other churches and traditions. In college, I became involved in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, where I developed friendships with students from various different religious backgrounds. Many of us began attending an international, charismatic fellowship just down the street from my family’s church…my introduction to the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, singing scripture rather than hymns. I also attended mass with my Catholic boyfriend. There was the covenant church in northern Minnesota during my first 2 years of teaching, and another Baptist church during my second two. My roommate and future husband introduced me to the Reformed church, where I am involved today. And I’ve also worshipped in churches in Kenya and India.
Throughout my spiritual journey, the foundation laid in my childhood has held firm. I have rejected much of the black-white rigidity and arbitrary rules while being careful not to throw out the baby with the bathwater. So many meaningful and beautiful traditions, new and enriching practices, and varieties of worship styles have been built upon the foundation that was laid decades ago- new thoughts, new insights, new ways of looking at old truths, new learning. I continue to grow and evolve as a Christ-follower, fostered by the spiritual heritage that was handed down to me by my parents.
What have I handed down to my children? We moved to Nairobi, where we raised our three children for fifteen years; I believe that this international experience provided them with a global worldview. They gained an early awareness, appreciation, and acceptance of cultural differences and this has proved invaluable to them as demographics continue to change in the US. A love of travel and a desire to learn and experience more was ingrained by the time we settled in a rather parochial, conservative part of our state. Our oldest son has lived in or traveled to Guatemala, China, Jordan, and Mexico. Our middle child studied in Ghana and has traveled to Cameroon, Guatemala, and Peru. He and his wife also directed the refugee resettlement/ministry at their church for a number of years. Both Brian and Jason, along with his entire family, each spent 2 weeks visiting and traveling with us during our three years in India.
I’d also like to think that the international experiences we provided helped my children to form their personal, as well as, political values. They have seen abject poverty firsthand, have lived in places where the graft is blatant, where democracy has been corrupted and eroded, and have witnessed inequality, inequity, nepotism, and discrimination. These observations, the Biblical values we sought to pass on, and the open political conversations we have had together (iron sharpening iron) have moved all of us toward a more liberal, caring, outwardly focused political position. I am proud of their perspectives, activism, and advocacy; and this gives me renewed hope for the future.
— cmshingle
My church served as a jumping-off point to explore other churches and traditions. In college, I became involved in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, where I developed friendships with students from various different religious backgrounds. Many of us began attending an international, charismatic fellowship just down the street from my family’s church…my introduction to the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, singing scripture rather than hymns. I also attended mass with my Catholic boyfriend. There was the covenant church in northern Minnesota during my first 2 years of teaching, and another Baptist church during my second two. My roommate and future husband introduced me to the Reformed church, where I am involved today. And I’ve also worshipped in churches in Kenya and India.
Throughout my spiritual journey, the foundation laid in my childhood has held firm. I have rejected much of the black-white rigidity and arbitrary rules while being careful not to throw out the baby with the bathwater. So many meaningful and beautiful traditions, new and enriching practices, and varieties of worship styles have been built upon the foundation that was laid decades ago- new thoughts, new insights, new ways of looking at old truths, new learning. I continue to grow and evolve as a Christ-follower, fostered by the spiritual heritage that was handed down to me by my parents.
What have I handed down to my children? We moved to Nairobi, where we raised our three children for fifteen years; I believe that this international experience provided them with a global worldview. They gained an early awareness, appreciation, and acceptance of cultural differences and this has proved invaluable to them as demographics continue to change in the US. A love of travel and a desire to learn and experience more was ingrained by the time we settled in a rather parochial, conservative part of our state. Our oldest son has lived in or traveled to Guatemala, China, Jordan, and Mexico. Our middle child studied in Ghana and has traveled to Cameroon, Guatemala, and Peru. He and his wife also directed the refugee resettlement/ministry at their church for a number of years. Both Brian and Jason, along with his entire family, each spent 2 weeks visiting and traveling with us during our three years in India.
I’d also like to think that the international experiences we provided helped my children to form their personal, as well as, political values. They have seen abject poverty firsthand, have lived in places where the graft is blatant, where democracy has been corrupted and eroded, and have witnessed inequality, inequity, nepotism, and discrimination. These observations, the Biblical values we sought to pass on, and the open political conversations we have had together (iron sharpening iron) have moved all of us toward a more liberal, caring, outwardly focused political position. I am proud of their perspectives, activism, and advocacy; and this gives me renewed hope for the future.
— cmshingle
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