Can I Go With You?

Now that was a question that caught me off-guard Sunday night. JH describes in his own blog that my jaw hit the floor and I had trouble picking it back up, and he's not far off in that description.

The reason for this question was because JH asked if he could go with me to the Christmas service at St. Georges. I was expecting to go by myself, namely because I have been going by myself to church for the last year and a half. I also knew that JH describes himself as an atheist, he was raised Catholic, but he is not into going to church. I should know that quite well as I didn't go to church much for about 12 years, part of that being that there are no Unitarian Universalist churches in Hellhole, AZ, and when I could start going again, I just didn't get back into being a UU, but now I'm an Episcopalian. It's something I find I enjoy for a number of reasons. I'm also not one to force my views on others, in fact, I like discussing other people's religions just so I can get a different perspective and see what's similar and what's different. So I had just figured I was going on my own and that JH was going to be with his family anyway.

The other reason for the jaw-drop? JH is the first boyfriend who has actually expressed an interest in the fact that I go to church. I had thought the only way I was going to find a man that would care about me going to church would be if I started dating a fellow churchgoer. Mike did everything he could to avoid going anywhere near the place, and Joshua is Jewish so that would be really offensive for me to ask him to go. JH considers it a non-negotiable with me, it's important enough that I'm going to go, with or without him. Even if he did not ask to go, or decided he doesn't want to go again, I wouldn't hold it against him. I believe everyone has their own path when it comes to spirituality. What I will not put up with again from anyone is if I ask them to go and they say "Yeah, sure, I'll go" and then the day of service, or of a social event at St. Georges arrives and suddenly it's "Oh I don't feel like going" or "I'm too tired." It's a cop-out, and it's bullshit.

Anyway, so I'm glad JH came with me because I think it gave him a good idea on why I like going, because it's not like anyone is waking me up and making me go on Sunday mornings. Hell, I still like to sleep in once in a while :-)