I went to church for the first time

Today, I went to church for the first time. My wife’s cousin, Youseline, invited us to go to an Easter Service at this church she goes in New Jersey. Sabrina told me no pressure, if I want to go or no. I was intrigued. I have never been to any service before, and I do not know what to expect. Growing up in Taiwan, my family follows traditional practices (mix of Taoism and Buddhism) and we go to temples. My encounter with Christianity began in college where people from a church nearby my school would approach me and ask if they could share the story of Christ and bless me. I usually told them I am gay and they would awkwardly walk away. It worked like a charm. My views on religion and Christianity were influenced by how they treated LGBTQ+ people and therefore it was relatively negative. It was not until I met Sabrina that I started to see how it could be different than what I have seen on the news. Yes, very conservative churches exist and they do not like people like me — POC queer, Asian, and an immigrant? Forget about it! Sabrina told me her experiences growing up going to church every Sunday and good and bad things she encountered at that church. She now does not go to church, only occasionally, but she prays often, even for me sometimes. She’s very sweet.

The church we went today had a really cool and modern stage. It looked like a concert stage with the full band set-up. The wall was basically consist of three screens with cool lightings and speakers on the ceiling. When I walked in, I was greeted by staff enthusiastically, it felt nice and warm. At the same time, I was nervous since this was my first time and also probably the only Asian in this enormous room. Everyone dressed well and Sabrina said it’s called “Sunday’s Best”. They started the service with singing performances with praying and praising. It was quite long, an hour, and I had to sit down later on because my legs were tired. I turned to Sabrina sometimes during the singing and she was enjoying the music. I know my wife very well and I feel like I experienced a new part of her life today by going to church with her. Just because I have never joined her when she goes. I guess I was a bit reserved and wary if it would be a welcoming space for me and us. She was singing with the choir and people were clapping their hands. I joined clapping hands and hummed the music from time to time.

After the singing, there were some community PSA and a pretty dramatic theatre production about the story of Jesus who got crucified, followed by beautiful dances with live band/music. I love the dance. They were powerful and emotional. There were male and female dancers in the group and I think that was pretty nice (Sabrina also commented on this when we had lunch). The art component was captivating. Later on, they had a person sharing their journey in overcoming alcohol addiction. I thought it was cool; just wondering if he also got medical help apart from the religion. Then the lead pastor shared some sermon and they were Easter-themed. I was mostly confused about what he said but it was nice that he quoted from the bible a lot, even though I did not know what those meant. It’s like when you read every word you know their meanings, but combining all of them, suddenly you do not know the meaning anymore. At the end, he asked people to stand up and no one did. Sabrina told me beforehand that that’s for new-comers who accepts Jesus as their savior and I don’t need to stand up if I don’t want to. I told her to stand up and she said she’s baptized, and those were for people who were new, like me. I was like ok, and gradually there were 5 people walking to the stage. The lead paster prayed with them and said they were saved.

We left the church and went to a restaurant for lunch. Youseline asked me how was my experience and it was the first time she heard someone go to the church for the first time since it’s an everyday thing for them. I asked them why the lamb kept getting mentioned in the song, and why it’s called Good Friday when Jesus was killed, it should be called Bad Friday! Sabrina looked it up and something about it’s a good thing because he later resurrected. We also discussed that going to church every Sunday doesn’t mean you’re good, nor being baptized. The lead paster was saying something about you score 79 when the cutoff is 80, and you’re the same with people who score 40. It was a funny analogy.

Overall, I had a good time and it was quite an experience. I would say it is a bit overwhelming but Sabrina told me that before because it is Easter, it would be more grand than a regular service. I feel like this is a very cultural experience that is quite unique. It’s very USA. I was able to see a different side of Sabrina as a Christian woman ha ha. I love how much she enjoyed the music and the service. I am happy for her. This church is more modern and their mission is to welcome everyone, and I like that. “Come as you are” is a powerful message.