Then there were the Unitarians.

I've been attending a Unitarian chapel for the last few months.

If you'd have asked me a year ago to explain who the Unitarians are (or the Universalists) I'd have been pushed to give you a coherent answer. A fellow blogger had tried to explain it to me, with lots of history, but at the time I was getting it all mixed up with religious naturalism, which my fellow blogger was also discussing with me, and the end result was that I was all mixed up. 

I wonder now what I found so difficult to understand!

When I first heard of Unitarian Universalists I logged it as vaguely interesting but had no desire to know more. It's peculiar that I've ended up in a Unitarian chapel, especially as I can't quite remember what led me there now.

I had attended a few Quaker Meetings, and felt drawn to their Earthcare Witness, their Peace Testimony, the Quaker Concern for Animals, and mostly to their notion of 'that of God in everyone' belief. It was exactly what my nested systems of sentience ponderings had led me to believe myself. I enjoyed the quiet of silent worship too, and because the British branch of Quakerism is very much at the liberal end of the family I felt no problems with my Pagan slant on things. And of course, the people were lovely.

And then there were the Unitarians.

If I could be in both places on a Sunday I would, but it is the Unitarian chapel that I keep going back to. It was the unity in diversity that most attracted me to the Unitarians I think, and I was pleased to find a Unitarian community a short train ride away.

I went along and found myself sitting next to the book shelf. There is nothing I like more than a book shelf - it tells you everything you need to know about someone! The diversity of the books was encouraging.

The people were welcoming, and the service was intriguing. The first Unitarian service I attended was about the Smurfs! But the music! I loved the music - the words of the hymns struck a chord with me, and the musical interlude was wonderful.

So I went back again.

In all the places I've gone searching for a spiritual home and community I have never attended anywhere more than 2 or 3 times. The Unitarians are the first people I have wanted to keep going back to. I wonder, I hope,  that finally I have found somewhere I can be happy to stay. I'm tired of moving on and I think there's a good possibility that in the Unitarians I've found somewhere to call base camp, where my spiritual journey can wander as far as it needs. 

I've even been taking my kids along! But more on that some other time...