Today I Was a Methodist...again

Most of you who know me know that I grew up Southern Baptist, fried chicken and all. I pretty much stopped going to the Baptist churches when I graduated high school. There are a few things that they taught that I didn't really think melded well with my viewpoint on Christianity; however, there are some things that I do agree with so I will never really get rid of my Southern Baptist roots. I know that my dad is praying that I "see the light" and go back to the Baptists. Don't hold your breath, dad (Happy Father's Day, by the way). I also went through the phase where I'd go to those non-denominational churches that seem forward-thinking and in touch with society. They play the cool music, the pastors seem in touch with reality and even use slang *gasp*, and the messages are really hard-hitting and good. These churches usually have a minimum of 300 people per service and you all hold hands and bask in your awesomeness. I mean I really liked these churches. I thought that I had finally found a place....and then came the sermons on the role of a Christian woman. Did you know that in order to be a good woman of God, you have to quit working and homeschool your children? Yeah, you don't want your kids to actually have to interact with people who aren't like them. Apparently it isn't important for children to be able to have normal social skills and learn how to hold their own when faced with some else's different opinions. AND...did you know that you aren't a good wife/mother if you work? First step, work outside of the home; second step, become and atheist and carve 666 on your forehead. I'm pretty sure that's how it works. Ok, I'm just being dramatic but I don't know how many times the pastor got up in front of us and would preach about how wonderful it is that so many women in the congregation chose to give up their careers and devote themselves to their husbands and children. I know for a fact that I would be an awful parent if all I did was stay at home with my children. I don't know how many unhappy stay-at-home mom's I've met. All they ask for is to have a normal conversation that doesn't involve discussing diapers, pre-school, play dates, or pediatricians. Have you read the book Little Children. I think that book pretty much sums up a lot of stay-at-home mom's lives. Don't get me wrong, I don't think less of those women who choose to do this but the key word there is "choose." I don't think it's right for a church to make women feel guilty if they have to, or just want to work outside of the home. Alright, I'll stop talking about this now. As you can probably guess I stopped going to those churches and I pretty much stopped going to church altogether. A few weeks ago that little voice in my head started whispering "Tara, you really need to go to church" "Tara, stop being lazy and look for a church" "Tara, remember the Bible? Yeah, read it." I finally listened and started looking for a church. I wanted to try something completely different so I decided to go to a Methodist church. This was my second Sunday of being a Methodist and I've yet to form an opinion. I like it so far. I feel comfortable there and I liked the Pastor's messages. The completely shallow, embarrassing part of me enjoys it because there are attractive men there. Yes, I know that's not a good reason to go to church but it makes the whole experience just a little bit more...enjoyable. The bottom line is that I still love my Jesus and it's time to nurture that realationship.