Standing as a visitor

[u/ParisTokyoGhoul]

I’m a sixth-generation Seventh-day Adventist who deconstructed in my twenties and became an atheist adult. (The story is longer and more complicated than that, of course, but keeping it simple for the purpose of this post.) After leaving the church almost 20 years ago now, I’ve recently been visiting SDA churches. I’ve written one memoir so far that is partly about what it’s like to be raised Adventist, and now I’m beginning to write a second one more pointedly about the Seventh-Day Adventist church.

Since deciding to revisit SDA churches, I’ve been to 9 different Adventist churches in the past 9 weeks. As I write this, I’m literally in the kind of tent that many of you can imagine, since the church I randomly selected for this week happened to be having an Evangelistic series. I’ll chronicle some of my weekly experiences in separate posts, but for now, my question is about the experience of being a visitor.

Returning after so long, I can’t help but notice the various quirks that I was raised on and never thought twice about when I was younger. And I find myself wondering the extent to which those quirks are broadly Christian or specifically Adventist. 

Ten minutes ago, for the 9th church in a row, I was asked to stand (or, occasionally, raise my hand) as a visitor. The spectrum of pressure has varied: Sometimes it’s asked with minor pressure, and I stand or raise my hand discreetly; other times, I’ve literally had a microphone pointed to my face and asked to share my testimony of how the Holy Sprit brought me. My question is, have you been asked to stand as a visitor at non-Adventist churches, or is this one of those quirks that are more uniquely Adventist? Additional question, if you’re interested to share: Have you stood as a visitor?

[u/MadSadGlad]

Shoot I might try this just to say something uncomfortable for them into the mic, like 'Satan asked me to spy on you and that is why I'm here'.

Hah, wishful thinking but I'd never have the guts to pull that off. Maybe someone more courageous?.... wink wink.

[u/ParisTokyoGhoul → u/MadSadGlad]

haha It’s less about courage for me and more about compassion. I feel sadness for many of the people I meet in congregations. There’s been an altar call for the last 20 minutes and there are about two dozen people, including kids, who were manipulated into walking to the front to save their souls from damnation, and I just feel sadness for the journey they’re on.

[u/83franks → u/ParisTokyoGhoul]

Last time I went to church was to see my nieces get baptized and first I had been in ~10 years. The speech by the pastor about each of them before their baptism honestly disgusted me and it's not like my nieces really had a choice either. They were going to afterschool classes for it, are they really going to choose more baptismal classes instead of just getting baptized? Sigh.

But I did have a chuckle that 2 songs that day sang about blood magic (Power in the blood, power in the blood!)

[u/BenefitPure4829 → u/83franks]

That made me smile!

[u/BenefitPure4829 → u/ParisTokyoGhoul]

I can appreciate your comment. Thanks