I was in the middle of fifth grade, and one day, my friend asked me to go to church with him the upcoming weekend, I didn't really know what to expect. I had heard the stereotypes about going to church at lunch; "church was boring", "I accidentally fell asleep last week", "I hate going to Sunday School", and so on, either from watching TV or hearing snippets of conversations at lunch.
"I have a duet I need to play, so I need you to help me with it. It's not gonna be too hard."
"Sure, I guess."
A few days later, I arrived together with my friend, slightly uncomfortable in my button up shirt and pants. I follwed him nervously to the pews and sat down. Were there assigned seats? I glanced nervously at my friend, and then back at the projector screen. I thought to myself, "Oh no, I don't know any of these hymns."
After the ceremonies were over, we gathered on a lower level and the adults began to unpack various dishes they had brought for the lunch potluck as my friend and I took out our violins and music. A simple tune from an old TV show, but everyone crowded around us anyway, congratulating us on our "skill," and then hustling us to the tables of food. "Eat, eat," they said, "there's plenty of food. Don't be shy."
The closeness of all of the families was what really struck me back then. It seemed more like a large family gathering instead of the somber and formal procession that I had imagined. I was amazed at how much fun and how well everyone knew each other. I thought to myself, "They get together like this every week?"
Though I have not gotten another chance to attend church since then, I think that one day helped me get a taste of a different way of life, and really demonstrated to me the value of belonging to a tight-knit community.
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