This month I went to a Christmas concert at a local Lutheran church. It was inspiring to witness so many members of my community expressing their spirits by singing the Messiah. At first, I was distracted by the social intrigue of recognizing each choir and orchestra member, connecting to what I know of their personal stories. Then I removed that distraction by closing my eyes and letting the energy patterns of the music cycle through my body.

I have been asked several times to join that choir, but I just can’t bring myself to sing the words that celebrate nailing a man to a cross. And while I enjoyed that evening of music, it’s not my style. Most of the music in the Lutheran church was written in the 16th and 17th centuries, on the heels of the reformation. It was commissioned by the wealthy class for their personal consumption.

I was raised in the Lutheran church. I was confirmed when I was 13, and soon disillusioned. The church seemed like a place where people dressed up to impress their neighbors, acted holy for a few hours on Sunday morning, and then just went back to their mean little lives. It was a club people belonged to. I couldn’t see how it applied to my everyday life.

It’s hard to imagine the connection between today’s church and the original religion, which sprang from the inspiration of a Jewish prophet 2000 years ago. How did that man come to be seen as God? I am curious to look at the old testament myself. I assume that it contains some universal truths about light and energy and Love.