Redemption Church: God's Got This

As part of the #UnionCollegeChallenge - doing something outside of my comfort zone - I pledged to work on my spirituality/religious beliefs. I think I am spiritual but I don't consider myself religious. In fact, organized religion scares me. I have never gotten overwhelmed in church in the way that I have in nature. As part of the Challenge, I committed attend a different place of worship once a month. I want to be close to people who fully believe. Could I ever be one of them? REDEMPTION CHURCH 9/24/18 (born again? not even really sure) This morning Mike and I attended Redemption Church which meets on the second floor in Proctor's Theater. I had looked it up ahead of time and knew that it was much different than any other service I had been to (primarily formal Presbyterian services). The pastor is Jason Cooper whom I had invited to President Harris's community breakfast as part of Schenectady Day. Angela Tatem from the Kenney Community Center on campus had recommended Pastor Jason attend because Union students attend services there, and I really enjoyed meeting him. Plus I was very intrigued by the location - a theater. I texted Pastor this morning to give him the heads up that Mike and I would be attending. He texted back that it would be an honor. We walked into Proctor's Arcade and two young women (teenagers? early 20s?) were at the bottom of the stairs welcoming people to Redemption. At the top of the stairs there were signs with encouraging words like "You are amazing today!". A woman named Wanda was at the the door welcoming folks. I walked in and saw Pastor Jason and he gave me a big hug. He was wearing a black and red checked shirt and jeans - much more casual and low key than any other church experience I've had. It was a comfortable atmosphere. There were no crosses. No explicit visuals of Christianity. Good energy. The service was in the Fenimore Room with chairs set up with pledge forms on the seats facing windows that look into Proctor's. The room was full but not crowded. I would say the room was probably an even half white and half black congregation with a wide range of ages. 7-8 Union students had chairs along the wall. Mike and I found a seat somewhere in the middle. Steven Musso started playing music. It was up lifting. Dynamic. A woman starting singing with the lyrics projected on the wall. Some of the attendees were nodding and lifting their arms up in prayer. Her voice was amazing. She seemed to be completely consumed by her love for Jesus as she sang. She was unabashed. I had a hard time thinking that I could ever surrender myself that way. Then another woman sang and, again, her voice was amazing and she totally belted out messages of Jesus and God from her heart. All of the musicians looked so comfortable and joyful. Then Pastor Jason preached. There were a lot of A-mens! and nodding throughout. Arms raised up toward heaven and slowly waving. He was at times glib and fun, and other times intense in his delivery. I thought his sermon was supportive - no matter how hard and difficult your life is, it's part of God's plan. Whether or not you are a believer or however you live your life, HE already knows your path. The notion of pre-determination was interesting - that God already knows your path because he starts at the end and then goes to the beginning. I think it was supposed to be comforting - that if you lose your job, go through a divorce, fight cancer, "HE's got this." The congregation was full of people who could have very challenging lives. Schenectady has a strong community but also one with the highest child poverty rates in the state if not the nation Mike took issue because the sermon suggests that you can conceivably do whatever you want (bad behavior) because your destiny has been pre-determined so there is no need to make efforts to be moral. Mike said he believes that church is all about morality, hope, and courage. True but....in my opinion there is so much hypocrisy in the church that I turn away in disgust. Churchgoers who are "pro-life" but don't take issue when someone murders an abortionist. Priests at the highest levels of the church covering up decades-long (probably hundreds of years), systemic rape of children. "Love Thy Neighbor" unless she is a single mom receiving public assistance and then blame and shame her. My negativity toward the church is exacerbated by the news so I want to be near the many honest churchgoers who fully embrace the bible and its teachings. Pastor Jason performed a Dedication (baptism-ish ceremony) with a baby who was soooooo attentive and calm and seemingly knowing (kinda blew my mind). Pastor Jason took the baby from his father's arms and just spoke into the microphone so confidently and reassuring. I liked that he handed the mother a white carnation to celebrate the awesomeness of motherhood, and a red carnation for the father along with a rose bud to blossom with the life of the child. And he also threw in some baby's breath to the bouquet. At one point Pastor Jason asked that we close our eyes but raise our hands if we are feeling broken and in need of comfort. He was so non-judgmental and supportive. I was amazed at how open and expressive people were. At the end of the service he asked for donations and invited people to join a group, saying that attending church once a week was not enough. I left the service feeling upbeat and rejuvenated. I was in a good mood. I liked that there was no judging - people didn't look to see who we were or pressure us to come back. I have felt scrutiny and then resentment at church when there was a gap in our attendance. I texted Pastor Jason later and thanked him for the upbeat, positive, musical session. He replied that it was an honor having us. No "We expect to see you soon." I will let him know that David Harris will be at the Greenmarket on October 7. Hopefully he will stop by. We might be back. Mike and I browsed around the Greenmarket and then met all three kids (such a treat!) for brunch at Perrecca's. We told them about the service and they seemed intrigued. We have not forced any religious doctrine on them but have encouraged them to seek their spirituality. Haley is at Siena and can explore religion, not just Jesuit. Jack is intrigued by Buddhism. Hanna is open to going. We had a really really nice day. NOTE: Before the church service I caught sight of "the spitter" down the road from Redemption. Last January, before Haley went back to college, we went to Johnny's and had a nice lunch. When we were in the car about to leave, a man approached the car - I thought he was the driver of the car next to me and needed to talk. I rolled down the window, and long story short, he was from Ellis Hospital and wanting money. I said I didn't have any (I did), and he verbally assaulted me then SPIT on my hair and face. It was so demoralizing. Haley just wanted to go home, and I returned after I got cleaned up but couldn't find him. So when I was just a block from Redemption I saw him taking money from another woman in her car with children. This enraged me. At first I passed by but then I circled back, leaving Mike up the road. I gently knocked on the woman's window and signaled for her NOT to give him money. She shrugged because she already had. Then I turned to him and yelled at him that he preyed on women and children in cars, and it's wrong. I told him that he had spit on me, that he called me a bitch cunt in front of my daughter. He was not impressed by my rant and kept talking about how I deserved it. I took out my iphone and took a picture of him. This whole time he is saying awful things but I got to tell him how I felt about his behavior. It all sounds so awful but it made me very happy that I confronted him because I felt to helpless at the time. Then I go to church, and on my way out I see a cop. I show him the picture and the cop says, "Oh that asshole. Where is he?" I had to explain that I had only four minutes to get to Redemption and I didn't see a cop then. The cop told me that he'd "take care of him" and that ten years ago the guy would have had no teeth left. EEESH. Lots of moral dilemmas floating in my brain. BUT the question remains: What are the chances of my confronting him on the way to church???