Church Life

SUN., JUNE 22, 1997, 6:19 AM
FARM, STUDY

It is the Christian Sabbath, and 3 hours from now you shall be in a sanctuary, a familiar one, beginning a worship service. You are Presbyterian, and you have been such for over 40 years, and this is what I want you to be. You began your church life, as you remember it, as a Methodist, had a few years as a Congregationalist, but you’ve been a Presbyterian for more than half of your life.

You are comfortable as a Presbyterian, and though comfort is not the sole criterion for denominational choice it certainly is one that of which I approve. There are aspects of every service of worship that touch your spirit, but it is the whole of the church experience that must be evaluated, with and by spirit, to find the right “fit”.

The traditional way of receiving Holy Communion in the Episcopal/Anglican way is very appealing to you – kneeling at the rail and receiving the elements from the priest with a verbal “blessing” of some sort. Remember that early morning at North Conway, with just 3 or 4 of you… a memorable event. In contrast, your spirit is “hurt” by being refused the Body and Blood of Christ in Michael’s Orthodox Church. Your Presbyterian way is not “da best”, but it is comfortable… and inclusive, even of children.

Last Sunday you were part of a large congregation at Central Union, a large, open sanctuary, with a few remnants of New England architecture, mixed with the needs of a tropical climate. That was pleasant, in a nostalgic and emotional way, but you did consider going to the Presbyterian gathering. The “aftermath” at C.U. was important to you, so your choice was a good one, for that Sunday, but you would have profited from the other choice, also.

Some weeks ago you and Lenore joined the young group at the Vineyard, quite a worthwhile experience, but not wholly exciting for your spirit. It was not as “extreme” as some other evangelical services you’ve been in, over the years, but it was not, overall, attractive to your spirit. Of course, the young age of those in that group, while theoretically desirable, was not attractive to you, personally. You feel better in a congregation of mixed ages, some older than you, as well as some younger.

For music, you prefer a good pipe organ over the electric models, piano, or guitars and drums. You’d prefer the hymns sung to be “old favorites”, even ones for which you know all or many of the words. You react more positively to some variety in the congregational responses in worship, rather than the set and repeated words of the more liturgical churches.

Your current “preacher” is not excellent, as you evaluate those who deliver sermons. Some of the best you have experienced have been Presbyterian, and that is an important factor for you. You do prefer a solid Biblical text that is developed quite fully, as Berger did with Everyone Needs a Barnabas, one of the best that you remember.

It has been comfortable for you to be active in the Presbyterian churches, of which you have been a part… even being ordained an Elder at age 29. You have enjoyed leadership roles, and now, increasingly, you will accept the leadership of others. The congregations you prefer are never short on those who can and will be effective leaders. You would not be comfortable in a church in which women were not able to be leaders, equally with men.

You feel sorry, sometimes, that the doctrine of predestination, a part of Presbyterian heritage, is no longer emphasized. It was and is important to you, so just feel good that it is a doctrine of old, unmentioned for social and political reasons rather than Biblical or theological.