We’re back!

On October 2, 2004 Jessica and I were happily married at St. Paul’s Cathedral by our friend Scott Richardson.

We began to attend St. Paul’s regularly for a good while after that – drawn in by the inclusive warmth of a group of believers that not only professed to welcome you no matter where you were on the journey of faith but also seemed to actually live this out.

Then came the busyness of life.

We had our daughter Olivia at about the time I transitioned out of a graduate program into full time employment and our lives became filled with all the extra details that accompany jobs and kids. We found ourselves frequently traveling on the weekends and managing conflicting schedules. Soon, we formulated the typical reasons not to attend and that list became a rather effective hurdle as our weekly attendance dwindled to a trickle (one year we were one of those families that made it out for Easter and I think that may have been about it).

As I say, life crept in.

But from the start of our time at St. Paul’s we often found the task of transitioning out of the contemporary evangelical Christian worship style on which we were raised into the more contemplative Anglican format a bit challenging. Sometimes I felt a strong need to holler out an “Amen!” or lift a hand up in response to a sermon but wasn’t quite sure if St. Paul’s was the place for me to do that.

We eventually decided to do a little church shopping. I can say now that finding a service that is at once inclusive AND charismatic is rather difficult. We had a good time in a variety of places but we ultimately couldn’t quite settle in anywhere else. Our nomadic quest did, however, increase our appreciation for committed spiritual practice and the community that comes with it, both for us and for our daughter.

In the end, we longed for the near instant connection we felt at St. Paul’s and the powerful messages of God’s love and inclusion and social justice that pulse through the Cathedral halls.

In short, we’re back.

Although we may be out of town on any given weekend or home with a sick child, we are committed to attending as regularly as we can and supporting the Cathedral with our time and service as we are able.

If you hear a rather loud “Amen!” or see a lone arm angling towards the heavens it may very well be me.

With love,

Mathew (for MnJnLittleO)

Mathew Mitchell

Thanks, Mathew!

We’d love to hear more from the young families who are raising kids and why they choose to be part of St Paul’s. Drop us a line at StPaulBlog@gmail.com!