Back to Church

We've returned to church. It's not like we had a major spiritual conflict, or a clash with the pulpit leaders that led us astray. It simply took too much effort to get ourselves organized (showered, fed, kids fed and dressed) and out of the house on time to get to church only to spend most of the hour chasing our kids up and down the aisles instead of receiving any spiritual sustenance for our souls. But now, the kids are a bit older and can go to the Sunday school classes, and it's about time we've started to really settle ourselves into the neighbourhood (it's been a few years now) and get to know the neighbours.
I have many memories of Sunday school - it's where I learned most of the Bible stories. For me, church is also where my family nurtured and maintained its cultural ties to our ethnic community as well. Living in a large suburban centre, away from my family and my home church, I miss that sense of community. I also want my children to experience and grow in a "church family". Wayne and I regularly attended Sunday services early in our marriage (after all, that is where we met), and even after Devlin was born. But once he became mobile, it became more and more easier to worship at the church of St. Mattress. And while we say prayers every night before bed, we have been lacking in reading the Bible stories.
I promised my late grandmother that I would take the kids to church and teach them about our faith. It is through my grandmother that I learned to appreciate the true meaning of having faith as hers was as deep as an ocean and as steadfast as a mountain. She taught me Bible verses and how to pray. When I hear the opening lines of some hymns, I see her singing them - out of tune but with great passion. I only hope I can pass on to my children some of these gifts my grandmother gave to me.
So, after very little discussion we've decided to "return" to our weekly habit of attending worship services. Now that the children all wake up extremely early on the weekends, it's easier to get out the door. Besides, Devlin was beginning to think that church only existed in Windsor, since we only attend when we're visiting the grandparents.