Privilaged.

At our conference this weekend, some of the girls in our group got outraged because someone in their breakout session was complaining about how "privileged" they were. This really made me think about life and the things we have in Iowa, at school, and out here in Denver.  I got thinking about the opportunities that we have been given.  We all go a private liberal arts school, are getting a good education, and are blessed enough to (90% of us) study abroad and spend a semester in Denver.  I understand why they were upset at being called privileged, but really, aren't we?  I look at everything I have in my life and wonder, how are we NOT privileged?  We were born into families that live in the United States.  We can go to school where we want, believe in whatever religion we want, travel where we want, and be a significant other to almost whoever we want.  How are we not privileged?  We all come from families that are not split or single parent (I believe), we have money to spend, clean water to drink, friends to hang out with, families that love us, people who do not judge us badly for the color of our skin or the way we look, and we have the freedom to worship a higher power.
I went to church this morning, and I got thinking about why I believe in what I do.  Why do I like certain churches and not other?  Why do things bother me?  We went to this church called "Thrive church."  The pastor did not really give a message, and walked around praying and kissing people and dancing around.. People clapped, people raised their arms, they shouted "Amen."  It was something I totally wasn't prepared for and was not comfortable with.  I didn't really take anything out of it and left wanting to think further about my faith.  Based on the [privileged] way I was raised, I was like half way traditional church services, a message/sermon, and no dancing (unless it's Easter Sunday).  I have since come to enjoy some sense of contemporary service, but not this "Southern" type service.  I want to continue to explore churches and hope to find one that I like and really get to know the congregation and feel welcome.  This is the third church I've been to and am starting to loose faith.  There were things that I couldn't over look about each of these churches.
We are so privileged to live in a country where we have the option to try these churches and worship whatever higher power we want. I have the privilege to believe in what I want.  Going to Wartburg, I was blessed and privileged enough to participate in Campus ministry.  It was something that grounded me when life got rough.  I never realized what it meant to me until all of a sudden it isn't there.  I can't go and get my God Fix every Monday Wednesday Friday.  I have to make an effort to get to church in the morning rather than walking 15 feet for chapel.  I didn't have a choice on what was preached, but now that I do, I have to actually think about what I believe in and what I want from a church.

And the best part is that I live in a country where I can do that and decide what I believe in.
We are incredibly privileged.