Happy New Year!

I want to wish you readers a Happy New Year! I had planned on beginning this journey in 2007, but got ahead of myself when I visited St. James Episcopal Church the day before the year started. No regrets, however, as it was a wonderful experience. Now that I've gotten ahead of myself, let me back up and tell you where I'm going.

Although you can probably find my name on a church roll or two and probably find me on a mailing list for others, the truth is I am without a church I call "home" at this time. This is not to say I'm wandering outside of Christianity, in a dark forest of doubt and despair, questioning my faith and seeking answers to life's really difficult questions. It's more like I have re-entered the hallway C.S. Lewis speaks of in Mere Christianity. Of course, in speaking of this hallway, he says, "It is more like a hall out of which doors open into several rooms. If I can bring anyone into that hall I shall have done what I attempted. But it is in the rooms, not in the hall, that there are fires and chairs and meals. The hall is a place to wait in, a place from which to try the various doors, not a place to live in."

This portion of my journey will involve trying out various doors and seeing how God is expressed in those various rooms and to see how others express themselves towards God. It is not my goal to spend the rest of my life in the hall. In fact, I was warned by one internet friend to be careful about taking a consumerism approach to Church. It is not my goal to do so and I will remind myself of this warning as I continue on in this journey.

On a larger scale, Austin is a unique type of city. "Keep Austin Weird" is the motto. When you start with that, you know it has to be interesting! My journey will be to look at various churches/parishes in Austin. I will worship with them. I will share my experiences here. If you find it to be helpful in your own journey, then me taking the time to write it has been worth something. If not, then at least writing my own thoughts helps me to keep track of where I've been.

So, although the journey has begun, it's not too late for you to jump on and travel a bit of the way with me as I discover The Gospel According to Austin.

A couple of side notes:

(1) There is no particular format to how I've chosen to describe my experiences. I will write based on what made a particular impression on me at the time I attended the worship service. The impressions are only as accurate as my personal experience and perspective are. You could attend with me and possibly come away with an entirely different experience. That's how God works.

(2) I am a Christian. I have no intention of taking this journey beyond Christianity unless I somehow feel led by God to do so. I know Austin is filled with other cultures, other religions, and other ways of expressing love for God. I leave it to someone else to discuss those experiences. I plan to keep my journey within the limits of Christianity. This is not because I do not believe there is value in other cultures or religions. It's just not the path I'm on.

Finally, thanks for visiting my blog. I hope you find it enjoyable, enlightening and even entertaining. If you live in the Austin area and would like me to visit a particular church/parish and write on it, feel free to post a comment and tell me. Maybe I can make it part of my journey.