WS Chronicle

Growing up in a Baptist household, I knew on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m. I would be sitting on a church pew waiting for the service to start. As a child, I envisioned my adult life to follow suit, but it just has not worked out that way.

Once I entered adulthood, my attendance in church services began to decline as I had other obligations in my life. I started to feel like I am not giving God his proper time, because I was not able to attend church with the same frequency I did as a child.

My guilt began to mount as my life continued to get more and more busy. I know there are many people out there who may not have the time to attend church regularly and feel some sort of guilt or yearning to attend more often.

At one point, I was working three jobs that caused me to work seven days a week. Going to church was nearly impossible at that point, so I had to find another way to worship.  Even though I was not able to physically get to a church, my faith in the Lord never waivered or declined.

The guilt never went away, because I grew up being told that “you get your strength from being in the house of the Lord” from my family, so I thought I had to go to church to be fulfilled. Through prayer and speaking with other individuals, I realized my relationship with God is just that – mine. There is not just one way to worship God.

With the advances in technology, we have the opportunity to be in church through watching social media, YouTube or live streaming. Many churches are videotaping their sermons and putting them on their website so they can be viewed at any time. This allows busy individuals like myself to watch or listen to a sermon, without actually physically being there.  

I wanted to write this article because I know there is someone out there who has had this same issue. I also wanted to let people know that you should not let others dictate how you worship, especially if you are working jobs that support yourself and your family. Social norms tend to dictate how people act or behave and that may not always be the best way to handle a situation.

I no longer consider myself to be a Baptist but consider myself non-denominational, because I can attend any church and feel as though I have filled my soul, so to speak. I also do not use the term “religious” that often; I prefer spiritual. I still believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and try to live my life the best way I can. I will continue to pursue strengthening my relationship with God, without someone telling me how I need to do it.

Since working with The Chronicle, I have the privilege to be the religion reporter. That gives me the opportunity to not only visit congregations that believe in the same thing as I do, but more importantly, I have the chance to see how others worship.  

For those who don’t have the luxury of being a religion reporter, continue to worship and build your relationship with your God the way you see fit.