Church Alive October 17, 2011 Issue

The following was written in support of Church Alive, a focus of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, that explores the meaning and possibilities of awakening to the spiritual basis and impact of Church.

Red sneakers

By Alex Cook

After having walked away from the Christian Science Sunday School at the age of 12, I came back in my mid-twenties. I felt a great need for more structure in my thoughts, and my intuition told me that I would find what I was seeking in the Christian Science church.

Though I knew it was right to go back to church, it was not easy. I felt very different from the other members of the congregation. For one thing—I dressed differently. I wore a worn-out pair of sneakers that I had painted red. They were my favorite shoes. They were messy, bright, and I felt comfortable in them. I loved to dress in ways that set me apart and made me feel special. When I looked around in church, I didn’t understand how I was supposed to fit in. In fact, I was so busy wondering if I fit in to ever consider how I might be able to serve.

One Sunday, after the service, the head usher asked if I would be interested in ushering. I was stunned. I considered all the male ushers I had seen. They wore suits and ties; they looked and acted entirely different from me. They were the way an usher should be. Right? By comparison, I was messy and informal—a kid!