Stephanie Porten
May 17, 2009 

I've been going to Church of the Western Reserve since before I can remember.  Back when the sanctuary was what is now the chapel, the choir sang in the balcony, and Dean Myers was the pastor.  I've heard stories about when it was only my sister and I sitting on the steps for the ‘Time with Younger Christians' and I can remember the first time I was allowed to hold the candle by myself on Christmas Eve while everyone sang Silent Night. 

Now? I am a senior at Mayfield High School and will head off to Mount Union College in the fall. While searching for a college, one of my requirements was that a church be very close to campus and Mount Union fills that requirement; if it didn't you would be hearing about a different college right now.  To me, this is a crucial requirement because of my connection with my faith and with God.  To me, a Sunday doesn't feel like a Sunday without waking up on a little amount of sleep (right now it's about three hours...) and coming to church and thoroughly enjoying it.  Church of the Western Reserve (CWR) is where I grew up-both physically and spiritually and next year I'll have to get readjusted to a second church family; going through this year without a regular dose of Church of the Western Reserve.  What's the prescription to fill that kind of homesickness fever? (And no, "more cowbell", isn't a cure.) I figure, to know where I'm going I have to remember where I've been.

I feel that my spiritual foundation here at CWR began with Lois Klasny.  Every Sunday, when Mom sang in the choir, Kelly and I sat with Lois and Ed.  It was then I can remember learning how to sing hymns.  Lois would hold the book down at my eye level and I loved singing it and I loved music.  I didn't always know what I was singing or what the words meant, but I remember that I never sat a hymn out.  Ever since then my favorite hymn has been "I Danced in the Morning" because at that age, I could understand what dancing was and the tune made me want to dance as well.  So I guess my first real connection I remember with God was through music, and I credit Lois for giving me that gift.

As I got older, I eventually reached Mrs. Olmstead's Sunday School class and at this age scripture and phrases weren't just big words but big words that had different meanings that I could understand.  I had begun to struggle with the enormity of who God was, and what being a Christian really meant.  Up until this point, it had all gone over my head-I was at the age to blindly accept what I was being told.  My brain, which in school, was taught to think logically and realistically, but where did God fit in to rhyme and reason?  This concept was made easier with humor and oddly enough, candy. This candy, called ‘Now and Laters' were a tradition in Mrs. O's class. After ending our closing prayer we would each get a couple Now and Laters because...

God is with us Now and Later.

Somehow, that little dose of sugar helped me understand that God was always there, and always around.  Now, these new concepts, I had previously mentioned were also made easier with humor.  By humor I mean that, "If you like to talk to tomatoes, if a squash can make you smile, if you like to waltz with potatoes up and down the produce aisle-"Veggietales is the show for you! Veggietales, a show that may be catered to a younger audience put Christianity into a more straightforward perspective for me with songs like, "God is Bigger than the Boogeyman" and silly segments to break the tension of "scarier" stories like Daniel in the Lion's Den.  I've noticed that the bible stories that I remember best are those that are put to song, and yet again I find that music has shaped my faith, and what I believe in.

Now, at this point in the story of my faith timeline is confirmation.  It feels like just yesterday that I was standing before you, telling you where I was in my faith, that I hadn't quite figured out my connection with God, but that I was getting there, I was still trying and learning.  As I look back on it now, I still remember the breath prayer that each of us created in class-a breath prayer that I still use, before every performance, speech, anytime I have any sort of stage fright; I just look into the brightest stage light I can find and breathe and pray.

Since then my faith has only developed and will continue bloom and grow forever. However, as I stated before, I am going off to college in the fall and I know that the path is long and winding.  But I know that because of my days here I've got a map that will lead me in the right direction.