I went to church again

I like the church my boys go to. It's warm, friendly, and rather interesting. I love the music. I love the conversational aspect of the sermon. I love how intimate it all feels.

As I was listening intently to the sermon, I glanced upwards. Right there, clear as could be was a letter A. That is the symbol for an Atheist, if you didn't know. Somehow the wires and the lighting came together to show me a perfect, bright letter A that even mimicked the curve of the Atheist symbol. Message from above maybe? No, just coincidence, and noticeable only by the one person who had no right to be there. If I hadn't researched the Atheist symbol, I would probably have never noticed that bright letter A in the rafters.

Signs. Miracles. Prayer.

What if this is all it is:

• SignsYou only see things that mean something to you.
• MiraclesSimply good fortune.
• PrayerInner-dialogue.

I think people draw strength from various sources, and what works for one person, may not work for another. I know some people are very strong in their faith of God and Jesus (I refer to them as "Jesus-lovers"), and feel the need to worship publicly. Some are less involved, but still seek God's intervention when needed by prayer. Some draw strength from meditation. Some can sit in the sun and think of absolutely nothing and that is their power. So basically, some need "something" and some don't.

So I went to church with my boys. I love that they go because they want to, and not because they have to. I looked around at the children at the service. A few had toys with them. The mother in front of us was trying to engage her son by sharing the bible with him as the pastor talked about certain passages. The girl next to me picked up a bible to flip to the verse in Genesis that the pastor was referencing. One of my sons opened his own personal bible, and the other simply listened.

I wonder if these young people will some day resent having religion forced upon them, or if they will think back fondly to the Sundays on which their parents took the time to involve their kids in the celebration of God. I wonder if I would have felt differently if my experience was more family-oriented.

I always wondered if I screwed up with my kids by not involving religion in our daily lives. I guess I didn't if my boys embraced religion when they were ready, and on their terms. My daughter, another atheist, is smart and curious and questions everything. I love that about her.

Maybe I didn't screw up so bad after all.