Religion

I believe in God, I pray, I go to church once in a while, but not an avid follower of religion. Somebody asked me if I was religious, and I asked what defines "religious"?

I grew up going to church, 9am Sunday School services at the Kipnuk Moravian Church. And most everybody would go, and we'd ask why one didn't attend if they weren't present for the service. Then there'd be a 10am service (that we never attended). Peggy Brown's dad would give her an extra dollar for offering for the morning service, but we'd go spend it on candy at Ciiskuaq's store, I forget the name of the store "_______ Ice Cream Store" (and they never had ice cream). Candy bars were 25 cents, and we'd be best friends with Peg until the candy was gone. How horrible and heartless we were. Mondays were choir practice nights. Tuesdays were when they had a teenage service, then Wednesdays was a prayer service, where you got to go on your knees on the pews and take a nap if you wanted to. Choir practice for the Sunday evening service was on Thursdays. Fridays, I think we had another teen night, and then Saturday was the Young People service, I guess for those that were out of high school, etc. Sundays were the Sunday school service, then a morning service and then the evening service! There was a full week if you wanted to spend your evenings at church. I don't think I ever went every night of the week for all the services.

My aunt Nangyun, you couldn't find her on Sundays because it was church and visiting day, I don't know if she'd go to all the services too. To me, she is what I'd consider "religious". She's an avid bible reader, hardly misses a church service, prays before every meal and every night at bed time. Her prayers are at least 10 minutes long and so elaborate. Everything she plans ends with the words "God willing".

I miss going church at home, the beautiful singing, the readings from the bible that makes you ponder about God, life, the person you are .... and even looking around and staring at people when the sermon was a little dull.

Earlier years, it was embarrassing (at least to me), to leave the church before the service was over. There'd be stern, mean looking men by the door who'd ask you where you were going. We'd look towards the door in the back to see if anybody was near it and walk out as fast as you could and just as you thought you were homefree, somebody would grab your coat from the back to ask "Where are you going?" and send you back to your seat. Once, I pretended to have a nose bleed just to get out that door!