Choosing Trinity: Trinity Episcopal Church Guthrie, OK

     I love Guthrie, Oklahoma. I love the history and the historical buildings and the antique stores and THE CHURCHES! So I was very excited when we decided to head east Sunday morning to attend church there.

   We hadn't fully decided which church we wanted to attend, we just knew we wanted one of those big old churches on Church Row, so we left early enough to be able to drive around and let the girls pick the church they wanted to attend. We stopped at Braums for breakfast, and said a prayer asking God to guide our decision and lead us to the church He wanted for us that morning. Then we went Steeple Chasing!

    We drove by every church we could find, checking out starting times and looking at websites. In addition we took in the beautiful architecture of the churches, houses, and businesses in the area as well as the extremely impressive Scottish Rites Temple. There were several buildings my girls wanted to move back to the farm to live in.

    Eventually, we narrowed our choices to the 1st United Methodist Church and the Trinity Episcopal Church which sat side by side. My somewhat cautious husband voted for the known, but as we pulled into an empty parking lot only moments before starting time, we realized something strange was going on. After a quick trip to the churches website, we discover that they were having their service at the park that morning, so our oldest daughter got her choice of Trinity Episcopal (for obvious reasons if you know her well.)

The Trinity Episcopal Church was founded in 1889 after the territory was settled by land run. The original church building was built that same year and the next on another lot entirely. Within a few years it was moved to its current location, and attached to the rectory (which I understand had to be rotated to face the proper direction). The current cathedral was started in 1910 but took a few years before its completion in 1914. The cathedral is absolutely gorgeous, and the original portion of the church complex is hailed as the "first building erected for the permanent use of a congregation in the State". 

 

 

 

 

 

    The building was very impressive from the outside, but we had never attended an Episcopal church and had pretty much no idea what was going to take place inside. I quickly looked up their website and was relieved to find an explanation of the service for visitors. It explained the formal dress of the priest as well as the traditional service which came mostly from the Book of Common Prayers. It explained that the bulletin would indicate what words to say and whether to stand, sit, or kneel at specific times. 

    This set my mind at ease, but caused my husband to whimper (at least half-way jokingly), "I'm scared," as we got out of the car. I told him and my now nervous daughters to conquer their social anxieties, and we headed inside, taking numerous pictures along the way. 

 

   It turned out any nervousness was entirely unnecessary. The people of Trinity welcomed us with open arms. They were so kind to guide us through our first visit, pointing out particulars in the bulletin, offering to take the little ones to children's church (even though their own children were all old enough to participate in the entire service), and taking the time to learn our names and visit with us afterwards, answering numerous questions about both the church and the denomination as a whole. 
 

 

 

 

   The episcopal denomination and worship service is something of a cross between a Roman Catholic and Protestant worship service. The service started with music as the supply priest, Rev. Mike Jasper entered from the back, followed by the deacon, Rev. Karen Hansen who carried a book containing the mornings scriptures, and a young lady in a white robe carrying a large ornate cross over her head. The remainder of the service was mostly a series of scriptures and prayers that the congregation members heard and responded to or read aloud in unison. I was pleased with the way the service allowed the members to be participants rather than just spectators and kept even my girls (minus the youngest who hasn't yet learned to read) very actively involved. In addition, there were traditional hymns as well as communion, offering, announcements, and prayer for joys and concerns in the community just as you would see in most any Protestant congregation on Sunday morning. (If you're interested in learning more about the episcopal church as a whole, I found some very useful information at epicenter.org.) 
   

 

    We were very interested to discover that many of the creeds and thanksgivings used in the Episcopal service were the same as those used in traditional Methodist services and that both come from the Book of Common Prayer. One member laughingly told us that they say Methodists are Episcopals who forgot their history, but the wonderful thing we're discovering on our Steeple Chase is that regardless of our history and traditions, God is very present in our places of worship. We were so blessed by our journey to Trinity Episcopal in Guthrie this week, and I just have to believe He's enjoying the similarities and diversity of our worship just as much as we are!

We had never attended a church with a kneeling rail.

 

 

A fount for holy water at the back was new to us as well.

 

Fresh Start For REAL!

                              


     I don't know if I've ever been to a church that felt more real.  There were no greeters at the door, there was no bulletin or posted order of worship, there was no praise band or pianist, or pomp and circumstance whatsoever. There was no musical call to worship, or candles lit, or offering taken.  There was no elaborately decorated sanctuary or formally robed pastor or quietly observing Sunday morning worshipers.

    There was, however, a little boy who held the door open for us as we walked inside, and a pastor who welcomed us and shook my husband's hand and told stories to my daughter and made her laugh. There was a friend who offered me coffee and led me to the kitchen where I was encouraged to help myself to not only the coffee but the homemade muffins sitting on the counter as well. There were friends sitting together at tables talking and laughing who smiled or nodded or said hello as I walked by.

    There was a historic sanctuary in a historic church that had once been the First United Methodist Church until ten years ago when they built a new church and sold the old one to a private party who now graciously leases part of the building to Fresh Start Fellowship for their Sunday and Wednesday services. There were lovely stained glass windows and padded chairs lined up in rows and a stage with a large screen tv set upon a table waiting to pull up YouTube and provide both music and lyrics to the morning's worshipers.

     There was a room in the back where the little ones (including my own) went to play and unbridled laughter and screams and even a few cries could be heard as Pastor Kris Ewbank walked to the front and mother's took turns stepping out to check on the kids. There was an open forum kind of chat about things happening in the community and congregation that flowed seamlessly into a conversation about mother's that many took part in, unreservedly sharing memories and stories and gratitude on this Mother's Day morning.

    There was a thought provoking and touching Biblical message which pitted societies' version of a good mom against God's version.  Examples in biblical mothers such as Lois and Eunice were used to encourage us to seek Godly wisdom and to encourage our children to step out in faith like Timothy and John Mark of the New Testament. And when Pastor Kris had finished his sermon, there was an open opportunity to ask questions or share observations or realizations from the lesson that morning. It was relaxed and encouraging and heartfelt and open and real, and when everyone had said their fill, we were asked to gather together at the front where members shared concerns and asked for prayers and took turns praying for others. There was a call for a special prayer for single mothers in the congregation, and surrounded by those who had been their themselves, as well as all the other mothers and grandmothers and men in the congregation, we laid hands on one another and prayed for wisdom and strength and the ability to reach out to one another in love.

     There was no closing song or benediction, but there was an invitation to join the weekly potluck (which we passed on this week due to Mother's day and middle daughter's birthday). There was no parting "visitors" gift, but there was a pile of trash bags in the corner of the sanctuary and a request to help add to it with items for their inner city ministry. There were a few similarities to the Sunday morning worship services we're used to attending, and there were many, many differences.....which is exactly as it was supposed to be. Fresh Start Fellowship was started eight years ago with the goal of providing a different kind of church to serve others and worship God in a different kind of way in order to make a difference. And we were so blessed on our Steeple Chase this week to discover that they are continuing to do just that!

It may be different, but it's difference with a purpose.
These items are being gathered in the sanctuary to be shared in ministry.
Now that's a difference I can stand behind!

P.S.  Fresh Start Fellowship is hosting a women's conference this Saturday at the Fairview Community Center. They've asked me to be one of the speakers, and I would very much appreciate your prayers as I take this opportunity to do what I feel God leading me to do. I'd also LOVE to have you in attendance. God bless you, my friends, and thank you so much for being a part of our journey.
 

(P.P.S. Old picture! Don't expect me to look like that on Saturday!)

                                               

Cedar Springs: A Faithful Fellowship

   

 This Sunday our family decided to stick a little closer to home and drove west of Fairview a few miles to the Cedar Springs Church of the Nazarene.  We had been invited more than once by friends in the church so when I woke up Sunday morning without a firm decision on where to attend, I shot my friend a quick Facebook message and found out not only the starting time, but that they were having a potluck dinner and we were invited to attend.

    Now, this is where every Oklahoma gal worth her kitchen salt begins to sweat a bit. Potluck dinner -of course there will be plenty of food (there always is), but it just feels so WRONG to show up empty handed. There wasn't time to come up with anything homemade of my own, and while store bought is definitely second class at a church potluck (or so I was certaitanly raised to believe), it seemed a better option than nothing, so while I got myself and the girls ready for church, I sent my darling husband off to the grocery store for TWO boxes of yummy frozen cream puffs.

    I said "TWO"; he heard "ONE," and one just wasn't going to cut it. For one thing, it wasn't enough to serve everyone, and for a another, my meager offering looked pitiful in a dish designed for double the amount (You didn't think I would serve it from the store box did you? Tip: Place the cream puffs in a pretty container and top with powdered sugar, and voila! you're store bought dessert isn't quite so embarrassing.....unless your husband only buys one box and they look like little pebbles in the bottom of the bowl.) So, I grabbed my dish and a bag of powdered sugar and decided a quick stop at the store on the way to church was in order. Unfortunately, so did everyone else in town. What should have taken me 2 minutes was going to take me 20 by the time I waited in line at the checkout, so I slipped out the backside of the register, handed my cream puffs to the guy at the register, said, "Nevermind. I'm going to be late for church," and high-tailed it empty handed back to the car. We arrived at the church just in time, and I left my pitiful puffs in the car, too ashamed to admit I even had them. (Yes, absolutely, I see how ludicrous this entire scenario is...NOW. But if you can tell me you've never had any kind of pot-luck anxiety, it's because you've never been to one. Right?!)

   Anyway, on to more important things.

    The church we attended has a long history in the Cedar Springs area. Last year they celebrated 100 years as a congregation, and while their numbers have decreased with the loss of population in the area, they continue to be full of a faith that not even a tornado could destroy though one attempted to do just that three years ago. The church was hit, destroying the northern portion but fortunately sparing the large sanctuary. I remember being shocked by how quickly the church was able to rebuild the missing portion along with the addition of a large family center/ fellowship hall. We drive by often and were excited to see what had risen from the rubble.

    The sanctuary was large and lovely, and we were excited to see so many friends and acquaintances. A couple of the girls' friends joined us on our pew, and the worship service soon began. Pastor Terry Schakelaar began the service with announcements and then donned his guitar to lead the congregation in praise and worship. The songs were of the modern worship variety and were displayed on screens at the front of the church. It was a wonderful beginning to our time worshiping together.

   During the sermon, Pastor Terry mentioned that they were members of a "holiness denomination" which put me quickly into research mode. Through visiting with the pastor after church and time spent with my trusty Google search, I discovered that the Nazarenes, along with Methodists, were part of a large movement in the 19th century which was started primarily by the teachings of John Wesley and can be found in his famous book A Plain Account of Christian Perfection. In a very, very tiny nutshell, these congregations believe that once saved through a belief in Jesus Christ, Christians are capable and should strive to reach holiness through a deep relationship with God, an understanding and immersion into His Word, and through the guidance and eventual filling of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, as Christian maturity is sought after and reached, the desire to sin decreases and the ability to live a life much like Christ is ultimately achieved. In addition, Christians should dedicate themselves to the use of their spiritual gifts (see Romans 12: 6-8, 1 Corinth. 12:8-10, and Ephesians 4:11) with the goal of developing loving relationships with others and through Christ's love bringing others to salvation through Christ. (Okay, I admit, it's a bit complicated, and I may have completely confused you with my incompetent explanation, so I urge you to visit with Pastor Terry or another pastor about this, or read up for yourselves on sites like nazarene.org and Wikipedia.)

    We enjoyed Pastor Terry's thought provoking sermon as he spoke from the 12th chapter of John and urged us to "become children of the light" (vs 36), and to "not stay in darkness."(vs.46)
Like many churches, this one included times of joys and concerns, congregational prayers, and the giving of tithes and offerings. However, we were blessed to be there on a very joyous day when three of the churches most influential members were celebrating birthdays in the late 80's and early 90's. It was lovely to see how well respected and revered these ladies and gentleman were in this congregation, and we were delighted to attend the potluck afterwards in celebration with them. (Despite my lack of contribution to the cause.)

    The meal was served next door to the church in a large building used for fellowship and youth events. The building had been started not long after the tornado, and while it was still under construction, we could tell it was being put to good use. There was a basketball goal and gym floor inside; as well as, a pool table and foosball. There was plenty of room for tables and chairs, and a large lovely kitchen as well. They are currently working to complete the building which will house Sunday school classrooms and a loft area for the youth.  While the congregation is fairly small, the youth program is currently thriving with around 40 youth coming weekly from a variety of different church homes and backgrounds. The youth pastor is Levi Bratton who I grew up with in Taloga, and while we were sad to have missed him and his lovely family as they were traveling this Sunday, I'm very excited about what is happening in his ministry and am so thankful for the young lives he's influencing for the Lord.

   We couldn't have asked for a better chance to enjoy an amazing meal and wonderful company this Sunday. The folks of Cedar Springs certainly know how to make a family feel like part of the group, and we so, so appreciate this opportunity to worship and fellowship with this faithful family of believers. What joy our Steeple Chase continues to bring to us this year, and what an opportunity to discover so many others who love the Lord and long to worship Him!