scott

(First - I had previously posted under the name "sgb" - I created a new account to use my first name, scott, as everyone was so warm in response to such a general post that I felt the need to be more personal than going by my initials.) Thank you for your words and advice. I do plan on visiting and using this board and the TCPC website often as a resource, sounding board and general meeting area. And thank you Cynthia for researching services in the UK. Leeds is about an hour away, but I think I'll venture over one Sunday. I am currently reading Marcus Borg's The Heart of Christianity. It is inspiring. This journey I am on to re-engage myself with my faith is changing my life. I followed what the Pastor in Vermont told me is a "not uncommon" spiritual journey. I was raised Christian, attending church regularly until I was 16, then went to college and questioned EVERYTHING about what I knew thus far - declared myself an athiest, a buddhist, animist, whatever I had intellectually settled on at that moment. I kept wandering after college, and over the past decade, just entirely lost touch with any notion of faith. Being a very political and liberal person, each time the religious right would rear its head in media or politics, I would push my faith further to the back of my mind, too easily allowing their use of the word "Christian" to influence my own understanding of the word. I rather unconciously settled into an unhappy frame of mind for the past couple years. Months ago a member of my family fell very ill, and soon after, due to my unconcious almost addiction to being unhappy and not embracing or enjoying any element of life outside of work (I am... was?... a severe workaholic)... my partner left me. Being a relatively new commer to this city, I had no social network locally to turn to, a family that had no emotional reserves to help with anyone else's problems, and was suddenly alone. Then one night I woke up at 2am and lied in my bed and felt, I can't describe it other than a thought wrapping itself around my entire being, telling me "you are not alone". At that moment I felt my faith begin to warm within me for the first time in 20 years, like a breath blowing on an ember. In the future, I think I would like to share more of my journey (I don't have anyone here to really talk about it with), but don't want to do so here if this isn't the forum (or the right 'room' within the forum?) Finding this forum means a lot to me. Thank you all for welcoming me so quickly and warmly, and I look forward to any websites, podcasts, or any references or words any of you care to share in the future. I'll be here... Thank you, scott (formerly posting as sgb)