Day 22: Singing the Doxology

Last night, before we gathered for dinner, our host invited us to sing the Doxology. It’s been a long time since I sang those words:

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him, all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

It was lovely to give thanks and to witness the traditions of this group that I am staying with for an evening.

Over the course of the evening, in several conversations, I shared ideas or resources, only to be asked, “Is it Christian?” Embedded in that question was a judgment about the value or usefulness of something based on whether or not the source fit within a certain framework.

That is something I have let go of as I get older.

I have been around long enough to see things that were once unacceptable in Christian communities become the norm. Drinking alcohol, what you wore to church, swearing, using cannabis, women in leadership, and tattoos are just a few examples of what were contentious issues back when I first started to assimilate into the evangelical church.

That may seem like a random list, but they were all things I needed to sort out as a young woman!

I’ve seen lots of growth in some areas of the Christian tradition. I have also seen greater growth in my own spiritual life.

One of the biggest changes has been learning to trust my own discernment about whether or not something aligns with what I believe is good, true, and life-giving for me.

I no longer need the endorsement of Christian organization to be the measurement of whether something is okay.

Praise God.