In addition to the study of theology, I had of course also been regularly attending services at All Souls. Steadily, the sights and sounds of worship, which I had associated with alienation from a theology that I could not accept, were increasingly associated with the joy I felt from being in a community whose values I shared.

Then came my first General Assembly, an annual gathering of UUs from across the world. GA of 2005 was a big one for All Souls. Our congregation had been chosen to be featured as one of our association's "breakthrough congregations" because of our growth and revitalization. Both Rob and Shana were receiving full fellowship. And Rob was preaching the sermon at Sunday worship. I wanted to be there. Plus, I was just really curious as to what this GA thing was all about.

For five days I was immersed in all things UU. It kinda reminded me of the Neuroscience conventions of my science days, except instead of talks on electrophysiology and neurogenetics, the workshop titles were things like "Fideology: Faith as Trust." I attended workshops about UU theology, spiritual practice, social justice and congregational growth. I attended plenary sessions where we learned about the health of the association. I voted on what directions the association would be going in next.

And we worshiped. We worshiped in an arena big enough to hold us all - in fact I think the space was called "The Area." And since this was the year when the new supplementary hymnal - Singing the Journey - was introduced, we rocked!

In the past, if while flipping channels on the tv, I saw a stadium full of evangelical Christians singing joyfully about being saved, I quickly changed the station, disturbed by what I saw. It wasn't their Christianity that disturbed me. I had no problem with viewing a somber Latin mass or a staid Protestant service. It was the enthusiasm, the boundless joy, the emotion directed towards something that I did not understand.

In the Ft. Worth convention center, with tv cameras and all, I found myself clapping my hands, swaying side-to-side, and singing with abandon, buoyed by the shared sense of community. These were my people and we had found each other and I was overflowing with gratitude and joy. Some little voice inside my head said, "you've become one of those weirdos on tv" and a bigger voice shouted back, "Yeah, and I don't care! I like it!!"

I realized at that moment that I had become an evangelical UU.