On Sunday we did Zoom church with the Community of Christ. If left to myself, I would be done with religion right now–and I would probably be missing out. I usually bake or cook while Abe and the girls tune in, and I listen while I do my own activities. I absolutely love everything I hear, and I feel so uplifted, inspired, and spiritually fed from the talks, messages, songs, and prayers. I also love the CoC’s tradition of praying for a different country every day by name, and the way that it makes religion peaceful, connective, and socially and politically meaningful. It’s a beautiful church, and I’m thrilled Abe has found a home there.
Abe and I couldn’t believe that on their big financial Sunday they announced that unless donors specifically requested otherwise, all tithes were being donated directly to Honduras. We actually laughed really hard at home because this would literally never happen in an LDS church and we were shocked. But after the shock wore off, we felt thrilled and relieved to be in a church that prioritizes caring for the underserved over building its one hundred billion dollar stock market portfolio– and a luxury shopping mall on the side. Oops–still slightly bitter about that money I wasted on LDS tithing, I guess. Eep.
In the afternoon I tidied the kitchen while Abe took the kids outside to play snow baseball. Right when they were done and sitting around the fire drinking hot cocoa the Kahlers came over to carol to us. We invited them to join us for homemade cardamom rolls, cocoa and some singing around the fire, and that was really fun.
After they left I tuned into my Mormon Stories podcast.
I go in waves in my ability/desire to tune into Mormon Stories because too much listening is like too much news–at some point, I have to stop because I might actually pull all my hair out if I continue listening. But since my Thrive friends had been talking about the interview with one of the SLC Housewives, I got onto the Mormon Stories train again and listened to the Housewives interview (which was fantastic! I related to Heather on so many levels, except for the fact that I am soooo much slower and socially awkward than she is. Also, I’m not wealthy and I am terrified of parties. But other than that, she sounded like a soul sister!). I also listened to the Zelph on the Shelf interviews and watched this amazing poem which was referenced in the interview.
In the evening the LDS bishop and his family came over to carol to us on our doorstep. Ammon was adorable. The minute he opened the door and they handed us cookies he yelped, “Oh! We need to give you something!”–before zipping straight for our cardamom rolls and then racing back to the door to pass them all out. I was so impressed by his hospitable instincts.
Here is Ammon dancing. I love watching him dance!