I was subtly introduced to religion. There was a large Methodist church at the corner of our block. The pastor and his wife lived in the house that was owned by the church, across the street from ours. They were very friendly and engaging. They invited all the kids on the block to Vacation Bible School each summer and to special occasion youth events. I had no idea that this was an organized religion. I loved vacation bible school, learning the parables and scriptures, and singing with the special chorus.
My Introduction to God
I was eight years old when
my family and I visited the Baptist church. It was Easter Sunday, and it was the first time we had somewhere to show off our Easter clothes. Up until then, we stayed up all night the night before getting our hair washed, dried, and straightened, and styled. The next day we got dressed in our new clothes, enjoyed an Easter Egg hunt, and then a huge Sunday dinner with the family. The church was packed but there was an electrical charge in the air. I felt it as soon as we were ushered to seats. The choir was being led by two little girls; they were 3 years old and first cousins. I was mesmerized by the fullness of their voices and their lack of inhibition in front of such a large audience. This would be where I learned about Salvation and to love the Lord. Church was now woven into the fabric of our family culture. Theoretically, we lived by the same core values: school, church, choir, Sunday dinner, and holidays together. We often discussed values and principals, and how the Bible was the guidebook for our lives. The practices were accepted by my immediate and extended family. I know that I was not free to choose my religion, which God to serve or not when I was a child. I was not aware of other religions and beliefs until I went to college.
Is Religion Still a Thing Among Families?
I live in an urban city, and I am an educator. While I imagine that some of my students are Christians, it is rarely acknowledged or discussed formally. I cannot think of any religious group at school that has designated staff sponsors outside of the Muslim faith. During Ramadan and Eid holidays, a surprising number of students come to school covered and take advantage of the allocated prayer times and early dismissal to go to the Masjid on Fridays. It is often only during these times that some of them openly practice. I asked several of my students about their practices and if this is the faith of their families? Many of them are the only person in the household. I asked about the influence that led them to separate from their family religion. There was an echoed sentiment: looking for connection and community of friends. Most often, they voiced that many of their families do not practice any form of religion. Some said they discussed it with their parents, while others said they just made the choice, led by other adults in the faith outside the home. This type of unchecked freedom was surprising to me. I could not imagine my teenager committing to something that I have no prior knowledge, without gauging their level of understanding and the meaning of the practices, and them explicitly expressing why this is important to them. As my children grew older and ventured out into the world, they became open to other forms of worship, religions, practices, and the notion of not worshipping at all. This was initially blasphemy to me, and I held fast to “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” found in Joshua 24:15. When our family transitioned to a different church, it was initially more challenging to keep my daughter willingly engaged. Our son is a prolific musician and has been playing at church since age three and began earning from his gift by age seven. We quickly learned that we had to constantly cover our son in prayer as he entered various places and types of worship; we encountered a range of spirits and practices that gave us pause. We taught him early that money can never be the deciding factor when it comes to God. He has been mostly unscathed by church folk, but every now and then we had to call the good brothers and sisters’ integrity to the carpet.
Freedom to Choose
My children are both thriving adults living lives completely independent of their father and me. While I am mostly traditional in my religious practices, they have explored other ways to worship and serve, or not. We have had very open and candid conversations about their experiences and how different they can be from what they were immersed in as children and teens. I love the freedom they have in choosing. I am proud that our relationship and connection affirm that whatever they choose, they don’t need our permission or approval. My only hope for them is that they live a life they can be proud of, that they are kind and loving, ethical, and respectful of all humanity and living creatures.
While religion can be an important part of family culture and traditions, it is different for so many. Some churches no longer have the traditional gospel choir that wears robes and processions into the sanctuary. The new trend is praise and worship teams that usher in the Holy Spirit with a moving and rousing mixture of songs. Some of the worship teams minister for more than an hour. Since the pandemic, some churches adhere to a strict two-hour policy; they learned that it doesn’t take six hours to church! Some churches are completely remote and find that this streamlined practice engages more congregants because it eliminates travel. And some families have opted out or have not introduced organized religion in their homes at all. I get and respect the freedom to choose; however, as for me and my house (meaning just me), we will serve the Lord!
E. Marie Lambert is a self-proclaimed prolific writer and journalist. Her journalistic pursuits include creating and hosting 3 radio shows on WJYN Uptown Radio in Philadelphia, writing, producing, and hosting WPPM-LP Philadelphia’s Block by Block Community Radio, and as a contributing writer to WOW Magazine. During her tenure as a contributing writer at WOW Magazine, she won for most read articles for two of her 6 articles.
This was an amazing read! The two things that stood out the most in this article for me was that when you asked most children about what religion beliefs that they followed in the household, and it was a surprise to hear that really didn’t follow any religious beliefs. I think the times have changed to the point of parents not wanting ti force religion onto their children. I also love the fact that you didn’t force religion on your children, but let them find their own way. I do think sometimes forcing religion on children sometimes make them become rebellious if it’s not something the want to do