About a month ago, I was inspired to volunteer for a work day with some local Pagans. The thing that inspired me? Seeing Christian mom bloggers bashing Pagan mom bloggers and watching the Pagans have more grace than many Christians did. The kindness they expressed while suffering from the cyber ‘witch hunt’ stopped me dead in my tracks. I had the most wonderful opportunity to get to know these bloggers better and they have been quite gracious to me and all my questions about their faith. The more I read their blogs the more I realized we had something really incredible in common. So I spread my wings and ventured out to the local park work day with the local group of Pagans in my town. After spending a few hours having a fantastic discussion with my new friend, Stella, I became more intrigued with their spirituality. I decided to go to their Lughnasadh High Day Ritual.
I knew that much of the traditions of Christianity are pagan as it is, but discovering what I witnessed this last Sunday was more than I could have imagined. It was just a few years ago that I began discovering the paganism that was weaved into the fabric of Christianity and my horror (at the time) of such discoveries. It was part of the reason we left the church we were at. Many pastors have accused Frank Viola of breaking up congregations over his book Pagan Christianity and yet his book only touched the hem of the garment on just how much Christianity really is like Paganism.
Some may be in fear for me and my family as we have taken this incredible journey, but I can assure you that my friendship with Pagans has solidified my faith in Christ more than I could have imagined. Yes, their own spiritual journey has deepened my own. But not because they are ‘opposite of Christ’ or ‘of the devil’ like many Christians claim. In fact, I have seen more Christ (Anointing) in their spirituality than I see in many churches today.
We arrived at the Council Ring in our local park on Sunday, not really sure what to expect. Stella had shared with me a little bit about what the rituals are like and what etiquette to follow. I said hello and they welcomed me warmly. Stella introduced me to everyone as a “Liberal Christian” and while that term might sound accusatory coming from a Conservative Fundamentalist, coming from Stella it was a compliment I gladly accepted.
Within my heart and mind I wondered if the Pharisees thought Jesus was a Liberal Jew and if so then I must be following a good path.
They were kind in allowing me to take a few photos before they got started and their altar reminded me of other native tribes in American history. When our family visited Knott’s Berry Farm last summer, we got to watch a Native ritual in full costume that was gorgeous and truly inspiring. I was so excited to be able to witness this pagan spiritual ceremony.
I was fascinated with the metaphors being used in the Lughnasadh ritual such as the tree of life, the fire within, and the water to give us life. These are terms I am very well acquainted with in Christianity so my heart swelled large as I heard the Spirit of God speaking to my soul as these Pagans recited their words of worship. The service was very similar to a traditional Christian church in that they had opening prayers, songs, and traditions to express their faith. One surprising aspect was how they had a special prayer outside the circle to inform the adversary that it’s place was outside the circle and not to intrude. I have heard many Christian congregations include prayers that God will put angels of protection around the building so that enemies of the soul do not interfere with the worship.
As the ceremony continued, each individual had opportunity to give their offering to their deities. This is where I saw some differences that had me awe struck. Each person had the freedom to give whatever offering they felt inclined to give. There was no judging, no nudging and eyeing for their friend’s wallets, and all offerings were honored as sacred. Oats and corn meal was offered to the Nature Spirits and sprinkled upon the earth around the circle. I’m not offended or fearful of this, as I know many Christians believe that they too entertain angels unaware. In fact, in Christianity we are taught that when we serve the homeless we are serving the Lord Jesus. We are taught that when we are good to the earth we are honoring the gift that God has given us. Every act of kindness we extend to others is an act of worship of the Divine.
As the fire smoldered, a gentleman came and gave an offering of oil and poured the offering over the fire. This reminded me of the Holy Spirit being the oil of gladness and how many Christians anoint their homes and the sick with oil when they pray for blessings, protection, and healing. A woman came forward and gave an offering of incense and another placed lavender in the fire for her offering. The aroma was sweet and it reminded me of the days when the people of the Old Testament would offer incense to the Creator as a sweet smelling savor.
Then came the prayer requests..and my heart swooned as they shared their deepest longings and requests for guidance for big decisions in their lives. But hearing their prayer requests was so different than what I was used to. Their requests came with such a sacredness and trust for whatever would come their way. Tears flowed from my eyes and my heart enlarged. Within my heart I embraced these prayer requests as if they were my own and my inner being felt so full with community. They ended each prayer with “So be it” and I stood in agreement for their petitions.
Then came the time for praise and each lovely soul gave praise in their own unique ways. The praise of song came in an Irish song in honor of Lughnasadh Day, sang a capella by one of the men.
And at last they had their final ritual of drinking apple juice, although I don’t know if they always use apple juice, but it reminded me of the Lord’s Supper…and I partook. I drank in honor of the Divine and gave thanks in my spirit for these lovely folks who allowed me to witness their worship ceremony.
When I left organized religion, I fasted from all rituals so I could figure out why I followed those church rituals and see if rituals were even needed in my spiritual journey. Although I did not practice all their rituals, taking of the juice was my own reminder that all of life is sacred and to give thanks for that which we have been given. I gave thanks for my new found friends. I felt at home.
We then had a few hours of fabulous fellowship and enjoyed all the goodies everyone brought to snack on. They are a teaching group and are very open to the questions I had and were incredibly patient with me as I tried to make sense of some things and sought to reconcile their traditions with that which I was taught for so many years in Christianity. All of a sudden the Pagan and Christian rituals made perfect sense to me. I’m not sure I will participate in rituals of any kind very often, because of all the years of coerced rituals, but I do have better clarity on them now. I can see the beauty in them.
Who would have thought that my own faith in Christ would be deepened by the beauty of the spiritual ceremony of Pagans? Perhaps it’s because Pagans and Christians have so much more in common than we realize.
Am I converting to Paganism? I don’t think the word pagan or paganism is accurately described by many Christians today, because so much of what is woven into the traditions of the churches really is pagan in origin anyway. In addition to that, according to the Bible, anyone who is not a Jew is considered a pagan (gentile) and I am not of Jewish lineage. If I lived in the days of the book of Acts, my family would be known as Pagan (Gentile) Believers (Acts 15:23, Acts 21:25).
During my fellowship with this spiritual community I stated that I don’t know what I am anymore. I believe in Jesus with all my heart and yet my faith in him is quite organic. I’m not a traditional Jesus Follower. I yield to him in the Spirit and follow as he guides me in loving the Divine and my neighbors as myself. I can see him and hear him in all sorts of ways including nature, the Bible, pagan rituals, and even in many movies that come out of Hollywood. I don’t align myself with organized Christianity, because I want my faith to grow organically, but I do gather with other people who have faith in Christ….and I gather and fellowship with folks who believe in other deities. The thing that I hold as sacred is life and the life that is within us all. The true life of love, that inward spark that is fanned by those we are in community with, that love that is a flame within us that keeps the light on when life seems to get dark.
Home is where the heart is and I found a lot of heart with my Pagan neighbors that day. I don’t profess to understand everything they believe nor am I any kind of authority on paganism, but I know that these new friends are dear people with hearts and lives that are touched by their faith and I am glad to call them neighbors. I embrace them as spiritual kin in my own journey to understanding the Divine. For those who thrive on the witch hunt, use caution in condemning them, you may be washing their feet in the afterlife some day.
1 Corinthians 13:13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Galatians 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
**Edited to add..I received an honor from the Green Witch for this post. Of which I am thankful and honored. You have all lifted my soul and I thank you for all your kindnesses.
(photos taken with my Samsung Android’s Lightbox Camera App)
I find that most Christians are just scared of what they don’t understand….and very unwilling to get out there and do some “understanding.” It would make a huge difference in the mission field of life if we actually did some of those things instead of always talking & prostrating about it.
I agree, Lindsey. There was a time when I was scared to death to talk with people of a different faith, but that was due to the teaching I was under for so long. Many Christians don’t know how to face their fears much less conquer them enough to learn how to love their neighbor. Allow me to apologize on behalf of so many who are afraid to get close enough to understand.
Wow Lisa.. this is so powerful and touching. Thank you for sharing it. Many of us in the Pagan world needed to read this right now. hugs and many blessings as you continue to grow on your path!
Thank you, Kallan and thank you for passing my article along. I hope to build better friendships with all of you.
Love you post. Sending light and love. Blessed Be.
Thank you, Renee. Blessed be!
This was a wonderful perspective, and the photos are beautifully done!
There are many different pagan “paths” in addition to the one you visited. So their ceremony and Gods would be as unfamiliar to me as they were to you. The prayer requests would be quite familiar though.
Thank you. I hope to continue to learn more about each path along my journey. It’s been quite the spiritual walkabout.
I discovered that there was a group of people who are Canaanite Polytheists when a young man started following my blog, for instance. I was quite surprised! And as reconstructionists, they have many of the same issues.
http://tessdawson.blogspot.com/
This is an absolutely beautiful post, Lisa. It’s so interesting to hear about your experiences with your group of local pagans. I’m so thankful that Kallan shared this post with us today via her blog.
It’s beautiful that you were touched by the divine during the Lughnasadh ritual you attended. I’ve heard of people calling themselves Christian Pagans before, but I don’t know much about their spiritual journey. I’m glad that witnessing (and participating in) one of our rituals strengthened your own faith while you gained understanding of ours.
Many blessings to you and your family.
Thank you, Hailey Marie. This local group is a Druid group and I haven’t been able to connect with any other pagans here. Fundamentalism is thick here and I’m sure you can imagine the opposition they get for gathering publicly. As I said in the article above, according to the book of Acts I would be consider a Pagan believer, then again..so would most Christians in the world today…they just don’t want to admit it.
Interesting! I don’t know much about the Druid path, just my own little eclectic path, but I love learning about new paths. I always find new and interesting things to incorporate into my own path. I’ve learned things from all manner of Witches, Shamans, Christians, Pagans, Buddhists, and more.
Thank you so much for this. At a time when people of non-JudeoChristian faith are feeling targeted and threatened, these words of peace and community are a blessing to us.
Thank you for your faith in Christ. Thank you for seeing the validity of a different path to God.
Thank you for calling us neighbors.
Kat, I’ll stand shoulder to shoulder with Pagans in the ‘fire’ of your opposition. The fundies need a wake up call to what the 1st Amendment is all about.
Hey…just wanted to let you know that I’m giving you a big fat cyber hug right now. Huge. Your spirit shines, lady. It really does.
Hugs back to you, Heather. ((hugs))
I too came from an “overspiritualized environment” as a former Christian Educator”. I held myself from organized worship for years. I was blessed by being touched by lovely folks who allowed me to see different points of view without prejudice. I felt truly set free in my heart.
I am so pleased you too have been able to see something different and yet the same…..same song different words as they say.
Lovely post. Thanks. Oma Linda
Thank you, Oma Linda. So glad you stopped by. I’m in prayer that we can all see something good come out of the opposition that’s out there…the uniting of love among us all no matter what we believe. We have this wonderful gift of life and an awakening of the spiritual realm to guide us to unity of heart. Jesus wasn’t too popular with the religious leaders of his day either. He stood shoulder to shoulder with the oppressed and stood firm in defending them. I’m so sorry for all the misled Christians out there that have perpetuated a false imagery of who the Divine is.
What a great article! It was also refreshing to read about a ritual that appears to have been so carefully prepared, so moving. I fear that usually Lughnasadh gets the “short stick” as far as rituals go, but it appears not in this case. Made for a very meaningful experience for you. Thank you for being so open minded.
Thank you, Pulstar. It was a lovely ritual with such rich spiritual metaphors that deeply touched my own journey with Jesus. I would love to attend a ceremony where the people wore full spiritual attire. That would be beautiful too.
I really appreciate this blog post, because it shows a very balanced and open-minded approach to appreciating how others choose to honor the divine.
Thanks, Val. I am thankful to live in a country where freedom is upheld. It’s sad that not many churches want to uphold that freedom for others.
Kallan was kind enough to share the link to your beautiful article and I couldn’t help but come over and comment. Without even knowing it at the time, this was something I very much needed to read. It brought tears to my eyes; your open-mindedness and the finding of yourself and your faith in the rituals of others is beautiful. May you continue to find comfort and joy along your path! *hug*
Thank you, Danni. I’m so happy to see so many coming over to comment. I look forward to visiting all of your blogs very soon. It’s always such a refreshing blessing to receive and give at the same time. You all have blessed me so much today.
What a pleasure it was to read this post and see a Lughnasadh ritual through your eyes. I am so glad that attending that ritual has validated your own faith for you.
“The thing that I hold as sacred is life and the life that is within us all. The true life of love, that inward spark that is fanned by those we are in community with, that love that is a flame within us that keeps the light on when life seems to get dark.” Yes, we have this in common, and are not love and tolerance and acceptance seen as sacred by both of our Paths?
Blessed be!
Raushanna
Absolutely sacred! Blessed be!
Lovely post. You’re probably getting quite a few responses from those of us directed from Kellan’s post, but its a very valuable and under-represented point of view you express.
I had the opportunity two weeks ago to work with an interfaith youth camp, and the types of things you discussed are exactly what the kids embraced and found fascination with.
In my opinion, we are all worshiping the same force, we just choose to understand it in different ways. One’s relationship with the divine is a beautiful thing, no matter what form it takes.
Kayla, I believe you will see more people sharing similar views very soon. There is a tremendous growth going on in many who follow Jesus. Thank you all for being so patient with those of us who are on our organic journey of faith.
Thank you so much for this beautiful post. It was so heartfelt and fresh to see.
Thank you for commenting.
Thank you for such a beautiful post. It is people like you…with your sweet, compassionate nature, is what fuels my hope for all of us to be accepting and loving towards are fellow brethern. Thank you ^_^
oh yes, hope is what we all have. Hold tight to it.
Wow – I loved reading this blog. I’ve been a follower of Christ for over 40 years, but am feeling more and more drawn to pagan christianity as the years go by. Bless you for posting this – you described everything so beautifully.
Dominique,
I had only really heard of “Pagan Christianity” from the book by Frank Viola, which doesn’t color Christianity very nicely, however the way you just used the term sounded so positive.
As a Pagan, who might be just as squeamish with the concept of “Pagan Christianity” for the same reasons as a Christian might be squeamish with the same term, I rather prefer either “Organic Christianity” or “Earth Christianity”, thus riveting the focus on God’s creation of earth as a point of reverence and respect.
Pagan has such a modern social connotation that blending Christianity with it would discolor BOTH faith traditions questionably, in my opinion.
Hi Kayla, thank you for sharing your thoughts on that. There is a movement called Organic Church, but it is still leaning heavily into organized Christianity of the evangelical fundamental variety. I say that I have organic faith in Jesus, but even with that..I get some harsh treatment from many Christians if I don’t line up with XYZ etc etc etc.
Kayla, I just wanted to reply to what you said about blending Christianity and PAganism. I am a Christo-Pagan – a small but growing movement (although I became one before I knew there was a term for it!) I admit that mine is a very, very unusual path. But I don’t think it diminishes either Christianity or Paganism that I practice both. For a long time I was strongly influenced by Celtic Christianity and eco-Christianity, but I eventually realised that these weren’t enough, and that different faces of the Divine – my ancestral gods – were calling. But my first introduction to the Divine was through the divine man Jesus, and I continue to worship him. I know I wouldn’t be accepted by most Christians, which is a shame – but I’ve found a great welcome in my local Pagan community, which I am grateful for.
Lisa, thank you so much for this post. Your faith has a lot in common with mine. I’m delighted to hear of the grace you were offered by this community, and the grace you offered to them. I, too, am reminded of the Eucharist in the ‘cakes and ale’ or similar sharing of food and drink that happens at many Pagan rituals. Partaking of both has deeped my appreciation for each.
Thank you, Sophia. Amazing how Pagans are more accepting of an organic path in Christ than some Christians are. (scratches head)The apostles didn’t give a bullet statement of beliefs that had to be upheld. They allowed people to grow as a community organically. I think this is why there is so much pagan culture mixed into much of Christianity today. And while I had rejected all rituals when we left organized Christianity, I have now come to understand it better. There’s a book written by a beautiful Protestant woman named Ann Voskamp it’s called One Thousand Gifts. I found so much organic faith in her book and it amazed me so! She even wrote a whole chapter about the moon and her Divine experience under it’s bright full light. I highly recommend it. Anyway, her book helped me to push beyond all the ritual I was manipulated into before and I was able to begin seeing the beauty in those traditions. And while I still don’t have a draw to practice rituals too often, I am coming to understand the beauty in them and how people express their faith outwardly through those traditions.
I’m guessing the last thing any of us needs is another book on the “to read” list, but there’s a book called ChristoPaganism: An Inclusive Path by Joyce & River Higginbotham. It tries to cover a lot of ground and has a textbook-like feel to it, but it treats Christianity, Paganism, and blends of the two respectfully.
This Lughnasadh ritual sounds like it was a wonderful experience, and your description of it was beautiful. Thank you for sharing it.
Lately it seems that when someone suggests a book to me, it’s about the very things I’m already discovering. So awesome.
Great book. I second that.
Every word of your post brought me tears (of happiness)! Regardless of the divisions we place among ourselves, the differences in the way we worship (which tend to be quite similar after all), or the various labels we choose to identify with, nothing can sever the bond of unity we share…on the deepest levels. Thank you for your post! I will be referring my own readers to your inspiring and captivating messages.
Brightest Blessings
Polly, I love that you said the bond of unity, because the apostle Paul’s writings teach me that the unity that binds us together is love. How awesome is that?!? It’s not about theological boxes of dogma, it’s the simple love that is so radically uniting.
Thank you for a lovely post!! I have always thought that we are all the same at heart. I smiled to myself throughout this entire post!! I wish that I was able to share it with many others from my personal facebook account, but sadly there are not many who are as undersanding as you, and I remain quiet about my pagan ways.
Brightest Blessings to you!!
-Autumn
Hi Autumn, I understand that. It took me quite a while to be more open in expressing my faith and the organic direction in my faith. I have lost some ‘friends’, but then again..maybe they weren’t real friends. You have community here any time.
This is a great post and it lifted me this morning thank you so much for sharing it.
Thank you, Spirit.
I discovered your blog through Pagan by Design. I’m so glad I stopped by. I love the name of your blog, this post and your words of wisdom. There are so many commonalities between good people that if we stop to pay attention, we would see that our differences pale in comparison. Thanks for sharing your words!
Thank you, Magaly. It took me a while to name my blog and I’m glad to know it’s a good title. I uphold a person’s freedom to explore their faith as they believe the Divine is leading them.
Blessings to you and many thanks.
Thank you and bless you, Morgaine.
Blessings SisterLisa,
I too, come to you from Kallan, and I have also shared your link on my page with the hopes that some of my more close minded friends and family can perhaps begin to understand there IS more than one way to worship God. Thank you for your ability to see the forest and not just the trees.
I also would like to add my endorsement for ChristoPaganism… this book has help me in my personal life, for you see, I am Pagan and my husband Christian.
Love & Light my new friend…
Thank you, Vickie. There is a wonderful breeze of grace flowing among many people lately and I pray it continues it’s sweet fragrance in all our lives.
The award looks beautiful on your page and I’m honored that you have chosen to display it!
Nothing warms the heart more than genuinely connecting – especially through differences that tend to cast dark walls between folks much too often. If I gain nothing else from my years here on Earth, simply witnessing the will and strength of mankind re-connecting – lifting the veils of illusion between them – will have made it all worthwhile.
Here’s to witnessing, and being a part of, more of the same around the globe!
Brightest Blessings to All
Thank you, Polly. I visited your blog today and found it quite resourceful. Thank you for all the time and dedication you put into it. I passed it along to another friend is on a journey in pagan faith.
This is beautiful! Reading this shocked me to my core and in a very good way. It’s like a splash of comforting water and getting to glance up at the world with a fresher and wider lens. Thank you!
aww Thank you, Kay..all of you have been such a refreshment for me too.
I started a InterFaith section in my blog roll and have added a few of you. If you would like to trade links let me know.
I’d like that. I will link to you also on my home page.
Ooh, me, me!
Hi Sister Lisa,
thank you so much for this post. This is something I really needed. I am in doubt all the time. I wasn’t brought up a Christian, but my parents were. They tought me Christian values without calling it Christian. They were very diappointed in Christianity, because of all kinds of reasons and things they experienced in their lives.
I have always been searching, because I wasn’t brought up in some kind of religion. I thought I found the right path when I discovered Paganism, but thinking this couldn’t be combined with Christianity I have always been in doubt. I sing in a Christian choir and love Jesus, but I respect the older year feasts too, because they are a much older source. Living close to nature and respecting all kinds of religions is very important to me, but I thought that couldn’t be combined with Christianity.
You have written what I needed to see. I can be a Christian who respects Pagan beliefs and other religions.
I have been kept away from Christianity because of prejudice too. I hope there are more Christians like you, wo are tolerant and loving. The world certainly needs more people like you.
Thank you so much.
Love and Blessings.
Moncha,
The traditions that we all have incorporated in Christianity over the years are all man made and all from pagan origins. Most American Christians celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving in combination with our faith and religious practices. There is nothing sinful or against God by having a turkey for dinner, or cornucopia on the table for a centerpiece. We can discuss the symbols of Thanksgiving in our celebrations of the American Holiday in conjunction with our faith and it’s all to honor our Divine. We honor the 4th of July with BBQ feasts and fireworks and give thanks to the Divine for our free nation. We have Christmas trees and wreaths to symbolize our faith as well. If you wanted to create a special place in your home as an altar to the Divine with scented candles and a photo of an eagle to represent being carried by eagle’s wings (symbol of the Spirit of God) then do so in honor of him and there is nothing wrong with that. It doesn’t mean you are worshiping the candle or the picture of the eagle. It’s a representation of your inward acknowledgment of the Divine. When my pagan friends had their ritual of the oil being poured over the fire it is no different than anointing our door posts with olive oil to represent a prayer for blessing and protection over our homes. The rituals are simply physical ways to express our faith and what matters most is the connection you have with the Divine.
Reading this blog post made me smile. If there were more Christians like you in the world, it would be a much better place to live.
Thanks, Raevyn.. I certainly fall short of perfection and I know plenty other Christians who are fabulous souls who inspire me to grow. I’m so sorry for the ones who make life difficult.
Hi Sister Lisa,
thank you very much. I understand what you mean. I live in The Netherlands and we have a melting pot of religions here, so it is very difficult to find your own path, when you weren’t raised in a certain religion. You get overfed by all kinds of different beliefs. That is why I have seen and experienced a lot of religions on my quest to find my own path. I’m still not certain.
I find your words very inspiring. The book that is suggested by some people who have commented, sounds very interesting and I think I’m going to look into this book. Thank you very much.
America certainly is a melting pot, that’s for sure. There are over 30,000 denominations of Christianity and most of them argue who has the “right” version of the “truth”. C’est la vie.
I, like Sisterlisa, have had experiences that come from the Christian perspective. In my growing over the last few years, the Spirit of the Divine, has led me on a journey of understanding perspective.
Everyone has a perspective. Everyone has their own view of who the Divine is and how He/She functions in our lives. One thing that I have discovered is that it doesn’t matter what our perspective is, it will all lead us closer to each other and the Divine in the process. Love truly is what unites us when we allow it. Uniting through love is the only thing that will mend the ills of the world. War and fighting is not the answer, love is. Acceptance and tolerance.
Everyone comes from their own place/journey, and that place/journey affects how we see things. Sisterlisa is a genuine person and is truly interested in us all uniting in our friendship of the Divine. I, too, apologize for me and those that would seek to build walls of resistance and division. I am coming to terms with the faith that we are ALL equal as humans and we are all discovering the Divine in our own way.
Thanks to Sisterlisa and all of you. Blessed be.
Yes yes yes!!! Love is what unites us! It’s not about what name we call the Divine, it’s the connection that grows us and love for one another makes the world a nicer place to be.
wow. this article was delightfully stunning. as a witch, i thank you for this. the world needs more Christians like you. thank you for not persecuting us, and for being willing to listen. blessed be.
Silverowl, I went through enough persecution when leaving organized religion and coming out with my ‘heretical’ questions…I understand how hard it is. I would never persecute people just because they have a different way of worshiping the Divine. I love the virtue of pagans of ‘harm none’. I had my days in legalism where I would have been quite intolerant of many types of people, but the Divine has been changing my heart.
Lisa, I was deeply moved by this post, and featured it in a post on my own blog. You can find it here:
http://tim-byrd.com/2011/08/06/good-jesus-bad-jesus
I wish you well on your journey…
Best,
Tim Byrd
What a wonderful experience and I’m so glad you could come away with a positive attitude and new insight.
your post about Lughnasadh is very very moving Lisa.
You’ve done the Pagan community a great service by posting this.
Through Love & Light ~ Julie
Moving post Lisa. I too have found myself trying to describe what I am. Then it occurred to me…why do I have to label myself?
I grew up knowing that a lot of traditional Christian rituals are Pagan or Gentile in nature. I would say that includes Christianity.
I no longer refer to myself as a Christian. I am simply a believer of Christ and a Child of God, living life the way I was created to be. If we go back to the beginning of time as I see it, there were humans in a garden walking with their Creator. No labels. No church. No rules. No rituals. Just a relationship with an amazing Creator. That’s all I want. A relationship between me and my Creator. Simple. Organic. Real.
T
Bless you Lisa! I’m a Witch, and this post made me cry. I have seen my fellow Pagans get bashed and harassed so much this past year, that I became discouraged, not to mention frustrated with Christians. Being a former Christian, their behavior really shook me… but you… thank you so much for taking the time to learn about our beliefs and attending a ritual; your words really touched me. Blessed Be!
Much Love & Light,
Reba