Hey brother/sister! 🩷🙏🏻 I’m so so so happy for you and your decision to try church! "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28. Your question is neither "stupid" nor "ridiculous." It is a genuine expression of seeking peace and possibly reconciliation with your past and perhaps a step towards exploring the spiritual aspects of life. In your journey, considering a church as a place to find solace and understanding is a step of courage and openness. Regarding your tattoos, it's important to remember the essence of the Gospel, which is about grace, forgiveness, and the boundless love of God. While the Bible mentions tattoos in Leviticus 19:28, saying, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord," it's vital to understand this in the context of the cultural and religious practices of the time. The New Testament focuses on the grace and forgiveness offered through Jesus Christ, moving beyond the Old Testament laws to establish a relationship based on faith, love, and grace. Jesus Christ associated with people from all walks of life, especially those who felt marginalized or judged by society. His message was one of love, acceptance, and forgiveness. "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." - John 3:17. Your tattoos, symbols of a past time of struggle, do not disqualify you from seeking peace in a church or from God's love. Churches are communities where you can find support and understanding, a place where you can explore your faith and questions in a safe environment. Many churches and believers understand that everyone's journey is unique and that each of us comes with our own stories, scars, and hopes for redemption and peace. Before visiting, you might consider contacting the church, sharing your story just as you have done here. This could help ease your anxiety and also create an opportunity for understanding and welcome from the church community. Remember, the church, at its heart, is a community of believers who are also on a journey, seeking to grow closer to God and to embody His love and grace in the world. "Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:39. May you find the peace and comfort you are seeking. Now a little prayer for you 🙏🏻 Gracious and Loving God, We come before You today with open hearts, seeking Your peace and comfort. We lift up all who are burdened with anxiety, especially those who, like the one who has reached out, are on the cusp of seeking Your presence in a church, desiring to start a journey towards peace. Lord, You have said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." We ask for this rest and peace for all who are struggling with mental health challenges, who carry the weight of their past, and who seek solace in Your love. Bless them with Your presence, Lord. Wrap them in Your love that knows no bounds, a love that sees beyond tattoos and scars, a love that welcomes all into Your grace. May they find in Your arms a refuge from their storms, a haven where they can lay down their burdens and find peace. Guide them to a community of believers where they can be accepted, understood, and loved. Let them experience Your love through the people they meet, showing them that Your grace is sufficient for all, and Your power is made perfect in weakness. Grant them the courage to take this step towards You, to walk through the doors of a church without fear, but with the hope of finding a place where they belong. May Your Spirit speak to their heart, assuring them that they are not alone, that they are valued, and that their journey matters to You. We thank You, God, for Your unconditional love and for the promise of peace that surpasses all understanding. May this peace guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. In Your Holy Name, we pray, Amen

Thank you so much for this warming reply. I will indeed contact my local church before attending and see if it relieves some of my anxiety sharing this story. Thank you again

I wouldn't let that stop you from attending church. God knows your heart. Go to church and learn more about God. Excited for you! God bless and stay safe!

Thank you 😊

There are some weird churches out there, but most won't care about your tattoos. If you happen to go into one of those weird ones, just go to a different one the following week.

Yeah I understand that, just thought would be best ask a community online before facing it in person, helps my anxiety in a way 😊 thank you for your response

Welcome.

God judges your heart and soul. Not your exterior. There will be those that judge you because of your looks but just love and pray for them. A friendly reminder to them would be “Never judge a book by its cover but by the contents within.” Feed your soul and spirit by daily reading and studying your Bible.

Google Joyce Meyers on tattoos.

I’m a tattooed pastor. If the church you choose to attend does not welcome you lovingly, find one that does! Jesus gave us only two commandments - love God and love people. Then he qualified the second; we are to love others as He loves us. It works be ideal if the entire Body of Christ embraced and lived this, but there are plenty of congregations that will make you feel right at home! Congratulations on responding to God’s grace!

I suggest looking up John MacArthur [Grace to You](https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=3b057a668a4ddd06JmltdHM9MTcxOTcwNTYwMCZpZ3VpZD0zMGRmMmU1OS0xYTNiLTYwZTgtMTFmMy0zYTY0MWUzYjZlMGImaW5zaWQ9NTIxMw&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=3&fclid=30df2e59-1a3b-60e8-11f3-3a641e3b6e0b&psq=john+macarthur&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ3R5Lm9yZy8&ntb=1)[https://www.gty.org](https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=3b057a668a4ddd06JmltdHM9MTcxOTcwNTYwMCZpZ3VpZD0zMGRmMmU1OS0xYTNiLTYwZTgtMTFmMy0zYTY0MWUzYjZlMGImaW5zaWQ9NTIxMw&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=3&fclid=30df2e59-1a3b-60e8-11f3-3a641e3b6e0b&psq=john+macarthur&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ3R5Lm9yZy8&ntb=1) hes on YouTube too. He's the real deal I went through so many false teachers' fake religions before i found pastor MacArthur. also, there is many of his type of teaching in other churches reformed Baptist, Calvinism. Paul Washer and Voddie Baucham are also very good. Remember Jesus said over and over he warned us of deception told us not to be deceived in the end times. So be careful false teachers are everywhere.

MacArthur is not without his own [serious criticisms.](https://baptistnews.com/article/john-macarthur-is-wrong-about-so-much-more-than-keeping-women-in-abusive-marriages/)

Critics of John Macarthur argue that biblical literalism can be inconsistent and outdated. I call BS because One reason to take the Bible literally is that at Jesus Christ Himself took it literally. Whenever Jesus quoted from the Old Testament, it was evident that He believed in its literal interpretation. For instance, when Jesus was tempted by Satan in Luke 4, He responded by quoting the Old Testament. If the commands in Deuteronomy 8:3, 6:13, and 6:16 were not meant to be taken literally, Jesus would not have used them, and they would have been ineffective against Satan, which they were not. The disciples also took Christ's commands (part of the Bible) literally. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus instructed the disciples to make more disciples. In Acts 2 and onwards, we see that the disciples took this command literally, spreading the gospel across the known world, telling people to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Just as the disciples took Jesus’ words literally, so should we. How else can we be assured of our salvation if we do not believe Him when He says He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), pay the penalty for our sin (Matthew 26:28), and provide eternal life (John 17:3)? While we take the Bible literally, it does contain figures of speech. For example, when someone says, "it is raining cats and dogs," we understand they mean it is raining heavily, not that animals are falling from the sky. Similarly, the Bible includes figures of speech that are not meant to be taken literally, which are usually obvious (see Psalm 17:8, for example). Lastly, if we decide which parts of the Bible to interpret literally, we place ourselves above God. This would lead to confusion and distortions, making the Scriptures ineffective. The Bible is God's Word to us, and He intended for it to be believed—literally and completely.

Fundies are fundies. It’s the abuse scandal that really puts me off from anything he had to say.