Take Me To Church

There was a time when I was at church a handful of times a week. On Sundays - mind you Sunday consisted of Sunday school, morning church service, typically something in the afternoon, and Sunday night service. Then there was Tuesday night "visitation" (where we'd sale Jesus door to door). Finally, Wednesday night service. Then usually there was another day in there where we'd gather for a meal, a Bible study, a revival, a gathering with a "sister" church, a community service project, a retreat somewhere, or who knows what. I was born going to church, and I stayed that way up until I was 18 years old.

I look back on those years of excessive church presence, and regret it terribly. It was no one's fault. My parents didn't force me to go. I was simply a product of my environment. The folks I hung around went to church, and I took it to the extreme and went anytime the doors were open. I have some insight as to why I was there like I was, but that's for another entry. This entry is for a church service I attended this past Sunday.

This past Sunday I was planning on going to a Buddhist service, but when I woke my depression told me to stay in the bed, and I listened. I've been wanting to go to this service for some time, alas I've kept running into obstacles I can't seem to maneuver around. That was no different this past Sunday. Depression was the obstacle, and I once again couldn't get around it. It was so heavy, and oh so much stronger than I. Though with the help of my better half I decided to go to a different type of church - the woods.

When Jesus went to find God he traveled to the wilderness - to the garden. I've found that for me I am similar. I find "god" to be closest whilst in nature. Therefore maybe Nature is god? Whatever the case, this Sunday I decided to go to the closest thing to church I've ever experienced that being a trail snaking through the Appalachian Mountains. While on a trail my head shuts up. While on the trail I breath unrestricted, deeper, and air that feels it's energizing me. While on the trail I feel grounded, centered, balanced. While on the trail I can feel things I don't feel anywhere else. I feel clean. I feel whole. I feel like I could stay there forever, and I would have no problem with that. The woods, the trails through the Appalachian Mountains, are my church. Those trails are my sanctuary. Those leave covered hollers and hills are where I find my zen. They're where I find my salvation. They're where I take my burdens, and have them washed away. They're were my depression in treated. The woods are my church, and I know I need to get on to those trails much more often than I do now.

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