Church?

[Eden]

We had a team activity today (we do an Adopt-a-Road) and one person opted out of the after clean up ride as she had to get ready to go to church. That got me thinking. I hardly ever hear anyone talk about not riding to go to church. It seems like the cycling crowd, and the racing crowd especially, is fairly low key about church going or maybe its that Seattle is (the area has very low church service attendance compared to other parts of the country), or even perhaps its just that I ride on Sundays and the people I see aren't regular church attendants?

I'm curious are we a less church going bunch or is my view biased? I grew up in a non religious family so I don't really think about it too much, but for someone who is devout the racing season could be a strain - lots of Sunday races, lots of travel and early mornings. My husband has a team mate who is very devout, even teaches Sunday School and still makes it all work, but it must be hard. Does anyone find that it is a conflict for them? Do we attend less church because we cycle, do we cycle because we attend less church or do we attend church as much as the non cycling community? I guess I'm just curious as its never been an issue I've had to confront, but I'll bet it affects a lot of people.

[rocknrollgirl]

It does not impact the DH and I , but one of our regular partners is very devout, and it effects his ability to ride and race with our group quite often. He obvioulsy does not mind. I miss him when we ride on Sundays. We try to switch off so that we can include him.

I consider myself to be more spiritual than religious. One of my friends that is a Brit says I am fey, like his grandma. I think in a very former life, I was probably some sort of a woodland sprit...

HA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ruth

[Meaux]

I went a lot when I was growing up and was very involved in the church, but when I started working I didn't go as much. I've recently become involved again at my father-in-law's church. I don't go so much for the Jesus Factor (I, too, consider myself more spiritual than religious), but it's nice to be involved with a really great group of people. Our MS150 team is actually sponsored by the church.

[Trek420]

Playing in my head on a Sunday (Saturday for me) ride

They've read the scripture, they've passed the plate
And we're both prayin' he don't preach late
But he's gettin' "Amens," and that's just our luck
Yeah, it's sixty-five degrees outside and he's just gettin' warmed up

Oh you and me, we could be soakin' up that sun
Findin' out just how fast SK's bike'll run
I tell you there ain't nothin' that'll test your faith
Like a long sermon on a pretty Sunday

Well it's been rainin' all week long
I woke up this mornin', the dark clouds were gone
We've both been raised not to miss church
But on a day like today heaven knows how much it hurts

Oh you and me, we could be soakin' up that sun
Findin' out just how fast V's red bike'll run
I tell you there ain't nothin' that'll test your faith
Like a long sermon on a pretty Sunday

See that sunlight shinin' through that stained glass
How much longer is this gonna last

Oh you and me, we could be soakin' up that sun
Findin' out just how fast your new bike'll run
I tell you there ain't nothin' that'll test your faith
Like a long sermon on a pretty Sunday

[Crankin]

I am much less active volunteering at my temple since I started riding. I could go to services on Fri. nights, but, I seem to have little in common with most of the people. There are quite a few riders there, but they travel in different circles (younger kids). I'm pretty sure this has more to do with just riding, because I was very active, on the executive board, president of the Hebrew School when my kids were still in religious school. But, I got burned out. I go to selected social events, usually on Sat. nights, services on the high holidays, plus maybe 1-2 other services a year. We used to regularly go to a breakfast/speaker program once a month on Sundays. No more, it interferes with riding in the spring and fall and x-country skiing in the winter. Perhaps this sounds bad, but I'm more active than a lot of other Jewish people I know. We do holidays with a group of friends that we have had for years; we are all at the same stage of life. kids out of the house (or almost) and just not feeling very spiritual...

[Fredwina]

I've been known to design clubs so that they go by the front door of St. Mark's Episcopal in Upland, Ca right before 10:00AM on Sunday.
It does mean some planning and prioritizing. I will miss church for an important ride, and sometimes, it means not riding , or like today, doing a shorter one than I would have liked

[mimitabby]

ha, you didn't even give a category that i fit into!
I went to church as a child, but disagreed vehemently with some things my church did about birth control and banning books and never went back. That was about 40 years ago.

[Grog]

ha, you didn't even give a category that i fit into!
I went to church as a child, but disagreed vehemently with some things my church did about birth control and banning books and never went back. That was about 40 years ago.

I'm with Mimi on that (although it hasn't been 40 years). Although I definitely share Christian values of love, sharing, forgiveness.., I can't stand to attend most religious services anymore. Readings from the Old Testament (I was born a Catholic) make me cringe (it's usually NOT about love, sharing, forgiveness...) if I make the mistake of paying attention, and as an organized institution the church makes me quite sad. (Not to say that this reflects on all religious people, quite to the opposite...)

So on Sundays I ride and go for long runs!

[cosc]

I have always attended church as long as I can remember. Summer I have to miss Sunday School to get a short ride in before I go to church. After church, it is often tooo hot to ride. I'm the only pianist at church so I only miss for a bike vacation. In the winter, church doesn't bother riding time at all, since I like to give the sun a chance to warm up our cold days.

[KnottedYet]

Unitarians are pretty laid back about church attendence. If riding is a spiritual activity for ya', it's cool to miss service. (Hey, we have a church triathlon team!)

I was raised without a religeon. I love the UUs, cuz they are quite the spriritual, accepting, and social bunch. A "Creedless Faith". We got UU Pagans, UU Buddhists, UU Christians, UU Humanists, UU Muslims, UU Jews, etc etc.

Sometimes I think the UUs "officially" follow Jesus' teachings better than most of the US commercial megachurches.

Unitarian Universalists: Common as dirt! Come grow with us! www.uua.org

[wannaduacentury]

I live in the bible belt and attend church regularly(I do sleep in occasionally and miss one due to a trip or cycling event). As long as you're comfortable with it. I know people love to ride on sundays, I usually wait til the afternoon myself, but then I ride on my own so I don't have to keep anyone's schedule. It's a personal choice to ride or not on sunday mornings. Jennifer

[GLC1968]

I also live in the bible belt (the 'buckle' as a friend of mine pointed out! ) and while my DH and I are not church goers, we are in the definite minority. There are NO organized rides on Sunday mornings in our area. Even two day events have services held for those who want to attend (they did this on Sunday of our local MS150).

[Geonz]

We've got the Saturday evening vigil option if there's something going on on Sunday, though I'll miss a Sunday now and again. It's a loving, rather socially and politically active congregation like the one I grew up in ( my parents used our microbus for shuttles to D.C. marches from the church parking lot and we learned "four dead in Ohio" in music class...) - I can fully understand those who can't stomach the hierarchy but sometimes there are pockets of devout defection.
I knew I was prob'ly in a rightful place when the first sermon included the words "menstrual period" (explaining just how radical it was to hang out with those unclean women in New Testament times).

[makbike]

I once attended, drifted away, came back and drifted away again. There are many things I love about my religion and many things I don't. I was raised that I could believe without having to attend an organized service. I know some will agree with this and others will shake their heads in sadness. I do have some of my best conversations with the Lord while I'm on my bike. More often than not I feel like a huge, heavy weight has been lifted from my shoulders by the time I make it home. I know I'm being heard, I know I'm being guided and I know I'm loved so life is good, very good.

[Grog]

Sometimes I think the UUs "officially" follow Jesus' teachings better than most of the US commercial megachurches.

Thanks KY, I had heard about them through an American friend, I'm glad I've read more. It's good to read that these people are out there (but they're not in my city)...