Theology
I was raised nominally Catholic. I can remember going to church a few times, and completing catechism and confirmation, but visits to church as a family were mostly on Christmas and Easter (if we went at all). My family was working class growing up, so weekend days off were a luxury for my mother. I remember internally questioning the act of communion, and why our prayers were addressed to the Virgin Mary as an intercessor, and not directly to God. When I was in high school, I began to attend church services at the Catholic parish across the street from my school. I was welcomed with open arms into a real community, but again I began to question. I was entranced with the mysticism of the church and the role of the priest, but I did not find much in the Bible that resonated with me deeply.
When I was in community college, my work in Art History also opened my eyes to other iconography of worship and religion, specifically those of ancient Gods and Goddesses. I then took a class on the Anthropology of Religion, and that really opened my eyes to the other means of worship and connecting to the divine. I decided to write my final research paper on Wicca and the Craft, and from there developed a keen interest in that faith. I eventually found a teacher, we formed a circle, and I remained active in my local Pagan community for 13 years. I was ordained as a High Priest in my circle, but I still felt something was missing. I was nominally involved in interfaith work through Covenant of the Goddess, an international Wiccan/Witch organization, and I serve both as Second Officer of my local council and nationally as Recorder (secretary). I was a member of the Antelope Valley Interfaith Choir, and I was chair of our local pagan meetup group in the Santa Clarita Valley. I realized that I thrived in community, but again, something was missing.
The economic collapse forced a move for my family from our home in Canyon Country to the Inland Empire. Here I felt isolated and started to want to do more with my faith to broaden it. It wasn't until after my divorce and a subsequent move to Anaheim that I discovered the Unitarian Universalist Church there. It was here I discovered a community that was passionate, accepting and incredibly liberal. The seven principles aligned with my personal ethics, and the open embracing of the six sources was pure enlightenment! Here I felt welcome to embrace my Paganism, but also explore other faiths and ways of thinking as a path to spiritual nourishment and enlightenment. It was here I felt the call to a deeper engagement of this faith.
My call to ministry was a subtle as an anvil dropped on my head. I had graduated with my undergraduate degree and was at a loss as to my next steps. For various reasons, I did not see my career progressing the way I had envisioned at Disneyland. I loved my job, but was frustrated at the lack of pay, poor union representation, and a misclassification of my job title and duties. I wanted to make a change. I had a vision: I saw myself as a minister, both in the pulpit but also active with the community. I toyed with the idea of professional ministry but balked at the idea of returning to school for another degree, mostly for financial reasons. I am a firm believer in fate and providence, however. I looked at several schools but was gently nudged by my minister Rev. Karen Stoyanoff toward Meadville. The stars aligned, and due to Karen's generosity and guidance I took my first class at Meadville Lombard and was hooked! I applied and was accepted to Meadville just after my wedding to my husband Rene.
I adore a phrase Rev. Stoyanoff coined in describing herself: "rational mystic." I too consider myself a rational mystic. I still identify as a Pagan/pantheist, and my pantheon of choice are the Hellenistic Gods of Ancient Greece. I embrace science, the scientific method, evolution and technology. I know that climate change is real and that humanity is the greatest threat to our planet in terms of its survival. I can also see the divine spark behind all of this, and I see science as a means to unraveling the mystery that is spoken about with reverence in many sacred texts. I can see the wisdom in the teachings of Hinduism, Buddhism, of Jesus, and of Mohammed, but I can also embrace the prophetic wisdom of secular teachers like Dr. Carl Sagan, Dr. Stephen Hawking, and Dr. Neil Degrasse Tyson.
*Clockwise from the top: My home altar; myself and another student leading a Pagan-flavored worship for Meadville Lombard's Monday morning Matins service; me preaching at the UU Congregation of Fullerton on the Persephone myth and the Summer Solstice
