One of my first memories is asking my 'Granny' about God.  As a child I knew that the 'Spirit' is real and felt the sacred connection we all share.       I vaguely remember - because my mother in later years told me, that when I was really young I stood in the baby bed and would hold a book (she rememberd me holding a dictionary) and I'd 'sing and preach'.  (I think I must have slept in a baby bed for a long time)        Anyway, I loved going to the church services - another thing my mama told me was that she only had to correct me from mis-behaving once in church - she said she told me that if I wasn't quiet I couldn't go anymore and that I was 'good' thereafter!   Our family was Methodist, but in the small town where I grew up the Methodist,Presbyterian and Baptist went to each other's services and actually did the Vacation Bible School together (at least a few times).  I went to 'church camp' and I always felt good about 'religion' - because it was spiritual to me - but my first dose of 'bad religion' came about when I was attending the Baptist Revival and their Church Camp - where if you hadn't made a public confession of your faith you weren't really 'saved and going to heaven'.  Well, the 'guilt and fear consciousness' hit me hard - I wanted to 'be right with God' as they taught, but I also understood that my family was Methodist and not Baptist (crazy, crazy).  I suffered for awhile with my 'guilt'- until one Sunday evening at a service in the Methodist Church the minister had an 'altar call' - well, I went forward while 'Blessed Assurance' was being sung and I knelt and prayed for 'assurance'.       When I was about fifteen years old my parents let a Baptist Seminary Student stay in our home on the weekends when he came to preach at the Baptist Church there in town - he was very different from the 'hell fire and brimstone preachers' that had given me such feelings of condemnation - he always told me that being a Christian was not about do's and don'ts.       Then a few years later my boyfriend (who is now my husband) announced to me that his uncle had baptized him by immersion (prior he'd only been sprinkled in the Lutheran Church) and if a person hadn't been baptized by immersion they were going to hell!       Well, I immediately called my Methodist Minister and said we've got to go to the river - sprinkling isn't good enough - and he tried to explain to me about grace etc. - but when he wouldn't immerse me in the river that day - I made other arrangements!  (My aunt's Baptist Minister - who was having a Baptismal Service - and he even explained that I wasn't joining the Baptist - that I was Methodist - that's pretty liberal for the 'Southern Baptist'.)        But my boyfriend's uncle was 'Church of Christ / Christian Church - and he didn't think the Baptist would go to heaven either - because their baptism was 'to show you are saved', while he said it was clear - 'you are baptized to be saved' and anything else isn't the real thing!  Well, needless to say, it took another baptism or two for me to 'get it right' - and a few more years before I finally came out of the 'religious fog' and re-membered who I Am!      My spiritual evolution in some ways has been a slow process, in other ways not at all.      I answered 'the call' - and everything that I've been through has helped me grow - I can easily see the thread that runs through everything.  At times I've been so angry at 'so-called Christians' that I didn't see how I could use the term anymore - only to find myself proclaiming it all the more, determined not to let the legalistic, narrow-mindedness of some people mar it.       I've studied and continue to study many different 'path's - my 'path' / 'practice' is blended and it is the thread of Love that runs through it all.      After the years of trying so hard to 'get it right' with water baptism, it was with the 'baptism of the Spirit' that I began to open up and honor the sacredness in every tradition.          (to add a note here - I also loved being baptized by immersion in water) and am always so blessed when I baptize others - my problem was with the legalistic thinking not the ritual of baptism)         At the time we were in the independent Christian Church / Church of Christ movement (not to be confused with the UCC - United Churches of Christ or Christian Church Disciples which are much more liberal) - I’d been taught that you must be baptized by immersion to go to heaven and then they were telling me that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was ‘evil and of the devil‘. To top it off - they didn’t believe that women could be spiritual leaders - well, I was re-membering who I Am as a child of the Creator and Birther of the Universe - so I knew in my heart of hearts that this thinking was insane and that I didn’t belong there. I’d learned some important lessons there - but I didn’t belong there.          I felt like I’d been brain-washed and was de-programming myself - with the Spirit’s help of course. I determined that from then on I would always be open to the Spirit’s leading.         And, I began to think for myself - I started to study all the religions, traditions, paths, etc. and I easily saw the thread of wisdom in everything - I was drawn to the Native American teachings, the Earth-based Tradiions, especially the Celtic, and the Shamanic Path.  I also, started to study Metaphysics, the Kabbalah and the Ancient Mysteries and I soon realized that Mystical Christianity was different from the popular notion of Christianity.       I also began a healing journey that led me to become a Reiki master.       And I realized that my "Granny' that I'd had those first talks about God with was a 'Wise Woman' - a 'Mystical Wise Woman' who knew how to use the mildweed plant to remove warts, etc. -       At my first 'Mystery School' I had a profound experience - I had a powerful 'soul memory' that gave me some important insights about myself and helped me understand more about why I'm here now. (and there's another story)       As I've studied I've seen the wisdom and truth in all the traditions / paths and I've incorporated and blended them into my own spirituality and my ministry.         The group (church/congregation)  that my husband and I started with a simple vision of 'freedom of worship' has evolved to be a 'life enrichment center' - and continues to evolve..       (For those of you who are familiar with the teachings of the ‘Rays’ I’m a 7th Ray Soul - and that says a lot about me)         While I have not thrown the baby out with the bathwater - I’ve had to get rid of a lot of ‘bathwater’. (ah-ha, that probably explains all the baptisms)       I have the feeling of ‘coming home’ and ‘traveling on’ all at the same time. I like blending and bridging the many traditions in my own life and helping others - one thing that is important to me is ‘inclusive language’ - and that’s one of my priorities - working to be inclusive in my speech.        I like the world as my parish and being a pastor / priestess of The Divine Source of Life - and that's still Christian to me.   ~Sarah~