I was a cradle-Catholic, though never-ever a very good one. Even though I grew up in Catholic schools, and never really knew any non-Catholics, in 8th grade I decided to not get confirmed. I was the 2nd child to do that in the history of my teacher's career, which spanned MANY years. It was a rarity, and my mother didn't talk to me for two weeks after I told her.
Fast forward to high school - a public school, surrounded by religions. I was always drawn to the more extreme expressions of faith, such as the Assembly of God and any type of Pentecostal church. I attended one of our city's largest non-denominational churches with a Charismatic slant, ditching Catholic Mass to go there as soon as I could drive, without my parents knowledge.
I considered myself Agnostic for a while, since it was the cool thing to do, then ended up getting elected the president of our school's bible club the next year. I had NO idea of what to do with that, and no one was willing to help me. My flirtation with Christianity was brief that year, especially since I broke up with my boyfriend of 2 years, met someone new and got pregnant before graduation.
My new husband was a Lutheran, of the ELCA variety. We have, in our 7 years together, church hopped across the city. But now, after escaping from a Purpose Driven Church, we are finally back where we belong - in a Lutheran church. The One True Church? Probably not. But it's for us.
