When I was about nine I went to class to learn about First Communion. It was to be the first step in becoming a member of the church. This is when they started to introduce us to some of the doctrine of this particular church. They got into more complex ideas, and told us a little about why we had to do these things. I remember the pastor asking us if we had sinned this week. I couldn't think of a time when I smacked my brother or didn't pick up my barbies when I was told, so I thought I wasn't sinning. The pastor told us that we are all sinners and that we sin every day. He told us something like, that when we sin we were going against what God might want for us. He said something as simple as turning left on a street instead of going right would be a sin. I can't quite remember how he explained it. It was something like if your gut tells us to go right but you feel like taking a joyride on the left street, would be a sin. If you thought about smacking your brother, that would be a sin. If you think about not going to church that would be a sin. I know I'm making the pastor sound like some kind of crazed bible- thumper. But these things were explained at great length in friendly kind of way, not in a fire and brimstone kind of way.
The pastor told us things in a way so that we might understand and I could to some extent. I understood the symbolism of the blood and flesh. I thought it was important to ask for your sins to be forgiven, although I don't think I understood about the point of confession until I was in my teens preparing for Confirmation.
(I just thought of this, but I don't know if it was Confirmation as in being Confirmed a church member, or Conformation as being conformed to a church member. I think It's Confirmation. )
Anyway, we stopped going to church regularly after I did the First Communion thing. We went on Christmas, Easter and Ash Wednesday. I also had to be the Acolyte every couple of months.
When I was Acolyte I would walk up and light the candles, and I would carry the little cups for the blood. I hated that job. Sitting through church was really boring and I hated everyone watching me light the candles and snuff them out. I bet they thought I was SO ADORABLE.