You’re invited! On a trip in the way-back machine!
We’re going to start in St. Louis, Missouri in the early 1960’s.
Think first grade.
Disclaimer… what follows is not meant to pick on anybody. Instead, it is – as close as I can recall – what my world felt like in that moment and that place. That context, if you will.
My folks built a house. A story and a half Cape Cod with wood floors, two bathrooms, and a fireplace for hanging Mom’s hand-knit Christmas stockings.
Our street was a cul-de-sac with 13 homes. And 57 children! I attended the public elementary school, as did Gary from across the street. A few of the kids were old enough for Jr. High. The rest of the gang attended the local Catholic elementary school.
(It is parenthetically interesting to note that Vatican II was going on in those years, though I had no idea about that, back then.)
What I do remember is the kids from Catholic families teasing Gary and me as we walked to school on Holy Days. Well, teasing, if that includes telling first graders they’re going to Hell for going to school!
My dad responded by grilling steaks outside on Friday evenings while most of our neighbors dined on Mrs. Paul’s fish sticks.
I, who thought we were all supposed to get along, was confused, to say the least.
What I didn’t know then is that all of this was happening before we kids reached the developmental age of abstract thought.
And I emerged, as happens, from those years with certain notions we might also call beliefs.
One of them was that only Catholic kids could wear the pretty necklaces with medals of saints on them.
We didn’t have saints!
We also didn’t have Advent. Or images in our church. And, even though I really wanted one, I wasn’t allowed a plaid, pleated skirt to wear to school.
I did get good at learning new things and I’m really glad because it’s one of my favorite things, still! Especially since the whole abstract thought thing kicked in.
Frankly, though, it hasn’t all gotten easy yet!
Fast forward to the late 1980’s!
Me, as a student at Columbia Theological Seminary, preparing to be what we used to call a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA).
I had many amazing teachers and dear friends and opportunities to experience really big things.
And, there were days when I felt like I was back in St. Louis, trying to figure out who, exactly, was us and who was them.
Fast forward to now. These days, I’m a teaching elder! And, yes, I am still learning.
One of the things I’m learning about is my ancestors. They’re an interesting lot. And it feels pretty hard to stick in them boxes, now that I know they’re us.
Some shifting of beliefs has been helpful!
Turns out not all the witches lived in Oz!
Two of my great aunts were hanged as witches in Salem. They were sisters. Mary and Alice. Hanged on the same day. Alice was exhonorated about 300 years later.
There were others, as well, in the old countries. I know their names, too.
Also saints! At least six of them, at last count. And I do, indeed, have medals for some of them hanging around my neck.
The point of all this as it relates to beliefs???
Well, a whole lot of what we learned to believe, we learned before we were neurologically ready for the big picture. Before we could do our own noticing and wondering, and make our own choices.
Now we can, if only we will let ourselves!
And that feels like really empowering news to me!
Fair warning, though. It may involve some laying down of old beliefs once we realize they aren’t working!
For today, though, the second Advent candle – the candle for Shalom/Peace – is lit, in the blind dog safe version. So be it. For you and yours. For me and mine. For all of us.
ps… I’m speaking during the Feminine Frequency Festival – a global gathering of women light leaders. I’ll be leading a 30 min. event called Laying it Down! on Dec. 17 at 2pm ET. It’s FREE and I’d love for you to join in! We’re going to work on laying down old beliefs. Really! Click the link at the time of my presentation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/femlightworkers Or, type my name into the search ???? icon and I should appear! This will also be a powerful networking opportunity! This gathering represents a diverse lineup of powerful women presenters dedicated to sharing wisdom, inspiration, and uplift-ment.