Welcome to the Renaissance

Beyoncé is for Black women, but more specifically she’s for Black Southern women like me. I don’t mean this in a gatekeeping way, I’m just saying. As her oeuvre has grown and matured, I’ve increasingly seen myself reflected in the lyrics and references she weaves throughout her songs. As she continues to scale the heights of her power, she makes more space for me to tap into mine.

Like much of the world, I loved Renaissance: Part 1. I loved the fun house bops and the sultry songs, but my favorite track on the album is “Church Girl”.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
I grew up very churchy, but outside of the occasional wedding and an ill-fated visit to the Southern Baptist church* my family attends, I haven’t willingly been to a church, aside from a beautiful visit to the Saint John Coltrane African Orthodox Church nearly a decade ago. Growing up in my nondenominational denomination church, “fringe” denominations like Unitarians would have barely earned an eyeroll for not being “real Christians”. Over the years, I’ve observed the ungodly marriage of Christianity with right-wing, extremist politics and have been disgusted. Recently, I’ve also had to accept that I’ve been disappointed by the juxtapositions of a loving God who cares about humans that I was taught about growing up and the blatant disregard for the "least of these" that Evangelical Christian leaders display. 

I’ve recently opened up myself to the idea of exploring my spirituality in a church-setting (I became an Astrology girlie over the pandemic) so last Sunday, I took a friend up on her invitation to visit a Unitarian church that I pass approximately four times a month on the way to a place that has become like a church to me: the pub where I watch my football club, Arsenal FC. It’s a beautiful building in an awkward location.

Welcome to the Renaissance.

No.

Not that Renaissance**.

Entering the sanctuary, I noticed the gothic architecture and the beautiful stained glass rose windows on the wall. Under one side, one of my favorite verses was painted “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). 

I clocked the familiar beats of a church, a minister upfront talking, musicians somewhere on the stage, candles, depending on the denomination and time of year, and settled into the pew where my friends were seated. I reminded myself to be open to the experience and tried to ignore my preconceived notions about this church and their doctrine-my friend shared that a recent discussion amongst congregants was whether the word "God" should be used more than it currently is. The jury must still be out because I didn't hear their name invoked once an alien feeling to me given my upbringing. 

I want to visit the church again, but now I know to check the website before attending. The sermon on Pride Sunday focused on queer theology and explored ""Radical Rethinking of God: God is Queer" an upcoming Sunday will focus on “"Spiritual Practices and Climate Justice".  These concepts align with the way I understand God and the way I want to understand God.

*At said church, the Pastor told women they shouldn’t wear jewelry or makeup. I (semi-)jokingly told my mother her Pastor called her a trollop because he highkey did. Needless to say, it didn’t go well.

** How COOL would it be to go to a religious service that utilized Renaissance as the liturgy.