Bicongregational

It's time I came out of the closet.

I was taking part in a neopagan celebration at the big UU church on All Souls Day when, out of the blue, my existential dilemma du jour was made easier to bear. I ran into an acquaintance I got to know when we were both on a committee at the Old North Church whom I hadn't seen for a couple of years, so we caught up and I met her friend. She was out of the country, then she was sick, now she's fine but hasn't been back at church. For my part, I told her I'm still on that committee, but I also meet with a group every week at the big church, to which she responded -

"Oh, you're bicongregational!"

I've been outed. I knew it would happen sooner or later. Now I'll have to break the news to my parents, my co-workers, my wife and kids.

Actually, it's kind of a relief to openly acknowledge the fact after all these years of living a double life, slipping surrepticiously in and out of pews, arriving late and leaving early, dreading being seen by someone from the country church while in the company of someone from the city church.

No more hiding my congregational orientation. I can hold my head high on any street in central swingstate without shame or fear, that is, until the constitutional amendment banning my kind. I'm not G, L, or T. I'm neither fish nor fowl. I'm proudly bicongregational.